GRADUATION DAY

One of the toughest tickets in town every year is the Arbor eighth grade graduation ceremony. This is because space is limited and because the event is so darn moving. That is why we were so gratified to receive an invitation in the mail from Cate's eighth grade buddy Elena.

At the event, each graduating student gives a speech with content of their choosing. It is amazing how each child has something different to say about his/her experience. Some children talk about where they started off and the person whom they are now. Others mention their favorite experiences at the school. Uniformly though, the children thank the head of school and founder Kit Abel Hawkins. They know that without Kit, Arbor would not exist and that their experience would not have been so magical.

For the parents in the audience, the day is quite bittersweet even if one's own child is not graduating. As I heard the children's speeches, I could not help but reflect on the five years that have passed since Nicholas joined Arbor. In nearly every way, these graduating seniors were a reminder of how ephemeral childhood is. Perhaps that is why I was moved to tears so many times during the ceremony and why I found myself hugging Nicholas in a little more closely as the event wore on.

At the ceremony, many kids encouraged their kindergarten buddies like Cate who were in attendance to appreciate how special Arbor is. Many of the graduates like Elena specifically thanked their buddies and told them how special their relationship with them was. This was not just because the kindergartners are so small and sweet. Rather, in many ways, the kindergartners were a reminder to the eighth graders of how they, too, entered this school full of innocence and naivety and how much they, themselves, had grown in the past nine years.

Afterwards, I gave out countless hugs to the graduates whom I knew and to their parents. Before we left, I found Kit. I looked her in the eye and merely said, "Thank you." No other words were necessary. Afterwards, we hugged, and then we departed.

That day, more than any other, I realized how lucky our family is to be a part of this community and to have such an amazing group of teachers, staff, and students to help our kids grow.

I do not envy any medical school that tries to recruit me away before Cate graduates from Arbor. Jobs are interchangeable, but graduation day reminds me that Arbor is truly one of a kind.