My sisters are graduating from college. Yes, it’s plural – sisters. In a big family, everything is plural. One with her masters. One with her bachelors. The highly organized one sends out a mass email to the family informing every one of her accomplishments and schedule of events. She was debating about walking in the ceremony, but she has decided in the affirmative. She ends the email with, “I would love it if you all could attend!”
The kicker is that these two ceremonies are taking place in the same day two hours away. We would have to high tail it down to Columbia, Missouri the night before in time for the 8:15 in the morning college graduation, then speed back to St. Louis for a midday masters ceremony – all before we grab a gift (no sorry, gifts, plural) for the joint party they will be having that evening. I’m wondering how I’m going to do this with my very active six year old in tow.
I’m sitting at my desk on Wednesday afternoon reading the email biting my fingernails.
I relay this piece of news to my husband over coffee later that day. “The third Saturday in December is completely booked,” I state matter of factly before sitting down with my cookie and coffee. I’m stress eating. We discuss the details. I worry and wonder how they make it look so easy. They are all signed up, ready to go. The hotels are booked!
He reminds me that none of them have children yet and have to coordinate hockey practice schedules, play dates, or general kid welfare. This girds me up a little. Yeah… They are all still going to proms and homecomings, enjoying single life, getting married and buying first houses.
Can I also send out an email that I will be getting a masters degree in keeping a six year old alive and healthy, while simultaneously working, managing a house, listening to a husband about his burgeoning company, and trying to find time to show my family how much I care about them by sitting through the ceremonies? I think all moms should get a degree for this. Or some kind of certificate at least.
My mother should probably have a wall of certificates and degrees, with a spotlight and a little mood music. If motherhood was karate, she would be a black belt. I would be happy with yellow or orange.
But, how do we mark the occasions in life where we see progress and accomplishment? Do we need some type of certificate? Some document to signify our success?
I think the occasions mark themselves. Like when my son shouts with certainty, “You are the best mom I have ever had!” Or when I make him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner for the third night in a row and he vehemently exclaims, “These are the best sandwiches in the world!”
Like my sister, we should be proud of our accomplishments and want to share them with others. Don’t be shy. You may not be getting a MBA, but I bet you have done something you are pretty proud of. Mark it down. Celebrate the occasion. Book a hotel if you have to. But, choose to walk in your ceremony.
Yes, I think degrees come in all kinds of forms. My form just happens to be a talking, walking six year old… and one who will be very well behaved on December 18th.
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