Rock On, Sasha.
Yes, that's a Natty Bo in her hand.
Josh and I have a rule: if one of us does something really stupid, the other one is not allowed to howl or make derisive comments or castigate the miscreant. Because, you see, the person who did Something Stupid already feels stupid and it's just plain mean to make them feel worse.
It was very hard for me to adhere to this rule on Saturday when we arrived at Sasha's college for graduation and discovered that the camera battery, which Josh had carefully removed for recharging, had never been put back into my big, beautiful, digital Canon Rebel XT which takes exquisite, EXQUISITE I TELLS YA pictures.
I almost cried.
I even struck up a conversation with a random man who had a lovely big camera.
"Hey, that looks like a really good camera. I BET YOU HAVE A BATTERY IN IT, HUH?"
Josh had brought along, as back-up, the little digital camera which takes okay pictures, I guess. But my heart just wasn't in it. Fortunately, the college had a professional photographer there to get a picture of the actual moment where the students were handed their diploma, so we'll have that.
Whatever. I don't know why I even care. The lovely high school graduation portraits are still in the damned envelopes. Shut up, I haven't had time to find frames for them in the last 4 years.
The weather was uncooperative, to say the least. 54 degrees and a steady rain. We had grandparents and aunts and uncles and 3 cousins huddling under umbrellas. And afterwards we all went out for a big lunch with a waitress who called everyone "Darlin' " and wore bright blue eyeshadow.
I love graduations. I love the way the parents search the crowd, looking for their son or daughter. I love seeing the grandparents, who are always dressed to the nines. I love the way the kids look giddy and happy. I love the speeches and the shared sense of accomplishment and pride and promise. Afterwards I always want to join the Peace Corps.
I will miss that sweet little college on the river. And I will miss her friends. Choco and Boston and Little Eskimo and Ty-Guy and all the others. I'll miss the crab feasts and the music and the run-ins with the Public Safety officers. Do you really know your kids' friends after high school and college? Do they really have those same intense relationships?
Josh and I didn't go to college right after high school. I didn't graduate until I was 40. I'm glad Sasha did it the way that she did it. I'm proud of her. I don't care what she does next, as long as she is happy and healthy and not entirely wrapped up in herself.
And congratulations to all the other graduates out there, too. Good luck and Godspeed to everyone.
Congratulations Sasha!!!! yay for you from Michigan!
Posted by:Ree | May 11, 2008 at 09:05 PM
A big congrats to Sasha and to her parents! I remember my kids' college graduations as being rather bittersweet...geez they were just toddlers and now this?
My kids have remained friends with their college pals (even tho some of them are way far away) and I think that's wonderful. I hope you will get to see Sasha's friends again some day.
Posted by:Belle | May 11, 2008 at 09:53 PM
Congrats to all of you! What an accomplishment! Hurrah!
Posted by:Liza Lee Miller | May 11, 2008 at 11:28 PM
hooray for Sasha! Congratulations one and all. (Does this mean that she will be voting for Obama? Sorry, off subject.) She looks very sweet in that photo even tho you didn't have your super camera. And the photo of the St. Mary's sign was so intriguing I just went and looked it up, read all about the "public honors college"- very neat place. Really- this post makes me happy because I remember when these girls were just getting ready to go and we didn't know if we could bear it. It's been a nice time, hasn't it?
Posted by:vicki | May 12, 2008 at 12:10 AM
Oh! And a most happy mother's day, Mary!
Posted by:vicki | May 12, 2008 at 12:10 AM
Congratulations to Sasha and family!
I can't tell you how many times we've taken our camera out somewhere, only to dicover the battery was dead or still at home in the recharger, plugged in to the wall. Good times.
You were very strong to resist the urge to punish the guilty party. I commend you. Well played.
Posted by:eurolush | May 12, 2008 at 03:12 AM
Well done Sasha!
(In MY house, mentioning someone's missteps on the blog can count as punishment.)
Posted by:blackbird | May 12, 2008 at 06:43 AM
Even though, according to the rules, you couldn't castigate the miscreant, do you get to bring it up over the next 15-20 years? Congrats to Sasha!
Posted by:Glenn | May 12, 2008 at 07:07 AM
Oops--can't spell my name today. The above is from me.
Posted by:Glenna | May 12, 2008 at 07:08 AM
We went all the way to Maui and left the camcorder battery charger behind, and guess what? you can't (or couldn't at the time) BUY one on Maui, we tired! No videos from there and this was before we had the digital camera, but the prints are nice. A year or two later we repeated this act in Florida by not bringing the charger,again,my DH took it out of the camera bag thinking it was the extra one, it wasn't. Luckily you can buy one there. Now we have 3!! Congrats to Sasha and the smart parents who raised her!
Posted by:Pam L | May 12, 2008 at 08:06 AM
Maybe you could get all of Sasha's friends to send THEIR graduation pics, dress Sasha up in her cap and gown, take some images and use Photoshop to stick her in wherever you like!
A couple of years ago, Tony built an osprey nesting platform on one of the reef ball pilings. I felt it was a bad idea, and said so at the time, because of its exposure to the whims of the weather and drunken jetskiers. Last night, the weather turned foul, with 50mph sustained winds, storm surge and heavy rain. This morning the entire nest is gone, mother and young together. The father is flying back and forth above us, searching in vain for his young family. Next time I have a bad feeling about something, I'll put my foot down.
Yes, the men are taking a hit on your blog today.
Posted by:Anne | May 12, 2008 at 08:11 AM
WOOT!! gadget for the win!!
Posted by:Laura/DaPFG | May 12, 2008 at 08:19 AM
Can I just say once again, your daughters are SO BEAUTIFUL!
Loved your thoughts about loving graduations. Reminds me of my own graduations, at which my grandmothers were indeed dressed to the nines. My grandfathers were already gone. Sigh. :)
Posted by:Fay | May 12, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Are you allowed to remind him of his stupid mistake anytime in the future? Oh well, at least you had a backup camera. Congratulations to Sasha! Hope you all had a nice time celebrating.
Posted by:Sue | May 12, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Happy Graduation! That is a great accomplishment.
Not including my own graduations, I have been going to graduations for around 15 years (as a member of the faculty). Seeing the parents and how proud they are of their children is the best part.
But...boy, have I heard some some dull speeches. I always try to sit beside a friend. Preferably a snarky one. But we all enjoy seeing our students graduate!
Posted by:maddy | May 12, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Congrats to Sasha & Happy Mother's Day to you!!
I love that picture :)
Posted by:Kimberly | May 12, 2008 at 02:56 PM
Way to go Sasha and congratulations!!!! I wish I shared in your enthusiasm in graduations. I know I start out all excited and a-twitter with excitement, but it soon wanes to total boredom. When my son graduated from high school and the school board president was definitely drunk and giving a nonsensical speech that helped ease the monotony. Hopefully something fun will happen when my daughter and her 500-something classmates graduate from high school in June. :~)
Posted by:Gail | May 12, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Yay for Sasha!
Posted by:Dusty | May 12, 2008 at 03:48 PM
Wow.
A Graduate.
This could mean more of your very own money will stay in your very own wallet.
Possibly.
I cannot imagine going to college graduation. Even high school seems like forever from now.
Many, many congrats to Sasha.
Posted by:MsCellania | May 12, 2008 at 06:52 PM
Congratulations Sasha!
Posted by:paula | May 12, 2008 at 06:57 PM
Congrats to your beautiful daughter on her graduation! I agree with you that it's a special time. I could be going through two this year, but Ashley doesn't want to go through Commencement at UW with its huge number of grads. I guess it's her choice. sniff
Posted by:Margaret | May 12, 2008 at 09:03 PM
Yahoo !!! Congrats ! I am so proud of her. What is a Natty Bo?
Am I out of touch .. do not answer that .
My young niece chose "not to walk" but to graduate and go to Vegas.
No pics for us at all. It is still such a proud thing still.
I love your wishes for your girls.. Go and be happy.. life does go by fast. Salud !!!! Happy belated Mother's Day to the coolest mom I know .
Posted by:THE BEE | May 13, 2008 at 01:41 AM
Very very proud momma you should be. Mary? Mine will be 21 Sunday. What will I do?
Posted by:Angie | May 13, 2008 at 05:52 PM