William Graduation

My heart grew and was beating out of chest with joy, pride, excitement, and so much love for this kid during this ceremony. He has worked so hard and been through so much the last four years to get to this (personally and also socially and academically as all of these kids have been through over the last couple of years.) All of these kids graduating this year have overcome so much in the last few years to make it to graduation. Everything they've had to deal with while keeping up their GPA and navigating high school and their social lives online, hybrid, and in person.

Watching him graduate was also very healing and beneficial for me. I didn't have the opportunity to graduate. It was very upsetting to me for many, many years. However, watching my son, my firstborn, take his walk to get his diploma made me so proud to be his mom, and to see him have this wonderful opportunity. It was very touching for me as a parent but also for the inner kid/teenager in me, too.

Also, from public school to homeschool and back to public school as part of his academic journey, aside from how I feel about public school, it's truly been a beautiful thing to watch my son learn and grow, be challenged, enjoy learning, and even struggle at times and have to find his way through. He deserves every bit of this diploma.

It's been a blessing and a privilege to be his mom, his primary parent, and be there for him, and to get to see him develop into the young man he is now. It's very moving to watch your child graduate. Cheers to all the graduates and parents of the class of 2022!

Go out into this world and stay true to you, follow your heart, and build relationships with people, and you will find so much joy and purpose.

I love you, William. Congratulations!