June 10, 2016
My wife and I have just returned from two weeks of being in the Washington, D.C. area. Bethesda,MD to be exact. While there we attended our oldest granddaughter's high school graduation. She along with about 500 of her classmates graduation was held at Constitutional Hall about a block from the White House. That's many many, miles from her grandfather's graduation held 56 years ago in a little band box gymnasium at a very small rural high school in southwestern Indiana. So in the past couple weeks we have attended two graduations...one from the 5th grade and one from high school. Both will bring change to their young lives as one now heads to middle school the other college (Lipscomb U. Nashville,TN)
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Just some thoughts:
GRADUATION
Well today I cried.
And of all places I cried in a gymnasium. Well come to think of it that should not be so unusual as at one time in my life I coached some high school basketball in Indiana and I know I cried a few tears during those years in various houses of basketball. Anyone who has ever coached high school basketball especially in Indiana has had their heart broken more than once.
No I didn't do a great big boohoo, use a box of tissues or even pull my handkerchief from my back pocket. It was one of them kinda quite cries that one does. You know the lump in the throat and you can feel the eyes began to fill up type of cries. The setting for my "quite cry" was a graduation, 5th grade graduation at Nolensville Elementary School in Nolensville, Tennessee. Our 11 year old grandson Luke was graduating. As I stood there I also multiplied the thought that in a couple weeks my wife and I would be in the Washington D.C area attending our 17 year old granddaughter Sloan's high school graduation in Bethesda, Maryland. Time has moved too fast.
Now I challenge any parent/grandparent to not get a bit misty eyed as they watch kids walk in, taking their place for their graduation and the following song be playing. If these lyrics don't crawl up inside you l think you might have a problem..
I'll take a picture to capture the moment/ I'll hold it tight within my grasp, it won't last.
Time is moving swiftly forward, before I know it, you'll be grown, on your own.
But wherever life takes you, wherever you roam/ no matter how long or how far away you go,
You can always come home.
I wanna be your safe place to fall, your soft place to land/ I promise to listen and try to understand,
I might not say "you're right," I might even say "you're wrong",
But whether you're right or wrong my open arms are here for you, my son/ my whole life long
May your journey be filled with sunshine/ amazing joy along the way, every day
Your great adventure is just beginning, so much promise held in store, an open door
But wherever life takes you or wherever you roam/ no matter how long or how far away you go
You can always come home
May the sad times and the heartaches, pass so quickly to brighter days, along the way
But when your heart is breaking and
you don't know what to do
And you just need some comfort and
someone to see you through
You can always come home
If I could just freeze time somehow I'd hold you
in my arms right now
And tell you all the things I want you to know
And even though I'd like to try time would just keep
rushing by
So let me say this once before you go/ I will always, always, always and forever love you so
I wanna be your safe place to fall/ your soft place to land
I promise to listen and try to understand
I might not say "your right",
I might even say "you're wrong"
But whether you're right or wrong
my open arms are here
for you my whole life
And many years from now, I hope it's decades away
When my life is over, I pray, I pray
You'll always have a safe place to fall, a soft place to land
Someone who will listen and try to understand
They might not say "You're right", they might even say "You're wrong",
But whether you're right or wrong I pray/ That loving arms will hold you close while life long
Take a picture, capture the moment.......................
(Words and Music by Shelley Exler---May 18, 2012)
What parent cannot identify with lyrics like:
"I might not say "you're right,"
I might even say "you're wrong"
But whether you're right or wrong
my open arms are here for you, my whole life long
But wherever life takes you,
no matter how long or how far away you go
You can always come home.
(Mrs.Exler in my opinion you are a professional song writer.)
I think what this good teacher had written about is called unconditional love. What a great graduation thought and a great gift to give to anyone.
But that is a type of love we all need to be givers and receivers of regardless what age or stage in our lives.
(The two pictures--top picture is Luke the 11 year old--bottom picture 17 year old Sloan)
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May 19, 2016
Keep on,
Larry Adamson