Tiffany Painter

Graduation season is upon us. The time of year when we celebrate a person who has completed a course of study. I attending the party for my childhood friend’s son last night. As we stood in front of the collection of pictures she had collected of her son’s life from infancy through the eighteen years that got us to this point, it became clear, more than a course of study had been completed. Her family puts the rest of us to shame with their ability to document everything, so there were a lot of pictures. Seeing ample evidence of this person’s growth from being a sweet, energetic little boy to a serious young man ready to start his next journey, reminded me of the changes my own children went through when we marked the passage of time for them. Graduations are bittersweet. Parents stand by with pride at each milestone their children make, grinning from ear to ear. It is an amazing feeling to see your child accomplish something they worked hard for, from learning to walk, to starting kindergarten, to graduating high school. But with each celebration comes the realization that something is lost. The little child that once needed to be tucked in at night, the five year old who squealed with delight running through the sprinklers, the third grader who wanted your help learning their multiplication facts, even the grumpy teenager that needed additional wake up calls on school mornings are all gone. I know the young person standing there in their graduation gown came about from all the layers of growing up, but each additional layer covers up that younger version more and more. See why there are tears mixed with those grins when parents cheer on their children when they walk across the stage to collect their diplomas? That is when the full meaning of the days are slow but the years are fast hits home.

5/8

waiting for wishes
that can be carried away
secrets in the breeze

5/10

another lake walk
turquoise sky mirrored below
start of sunny day

5/19

not a bird in sight
completely parched and idle
waiting to be filled

5/22

swimming all alone
disrupting morning calmness
searching for others

5/24

kickoff to summer
swimsuit and flip-flops ready
but where is the sun