Graduation

I never thought I'd finish. I just figured one day someone would tell me I'd hung around the university long enough that it was simply time for me to move along and do something else.

And I guess in some nice way, May 7, 2011 is the way it will be done, with a ceremony to honor all those graduating. Mine will be with my Master's in Special Education.

I remember my mom telling me of my Dad's graduation. She was huge, I was occupying a large portion of her belly at the time, and a woman by the name of Terese (nope, not Theresa, but Terese - with a long "e" at the end) was graduating and that's how she choose my middle name. It's interesting how that one little feature, a name I've never heard since, nor probably never will, left such a strong impression on me me.

I often tried to picture what that ceremony looked like. There's a picture of me and my dad, him in his robe, and me asleep in his arms. :) And now it's my turn.

My dad's education has always been important to me and has steered the way for my future. Yet it's been my mom who has made sure it all happened. She was the one who established the college fund and kept it stocked, putting me through school, and even in the end, she's still apart of it all. :)

I miss her terribly, and my heart will hurt a bit realizing she won't be here to experience this upcoming moment with me, but for some strange reason I feel as if she was able to watch it all unfold before she left. Call it wishful thinking if you'd like, but I think this was a moment my mom would have been set on seeing and if God could make that happen, then I think it would have been done for her. :)

It's a huge moment for me, one I've worked for nearly all my life, and yet I know the actual day will only last briefly, but it's that bend in the road that makes all the difference.