This past Saturday, my sister and I accompanied mom to graduation. Five students on her case load and two that she has taught in the past, seven in total graduated. About 440 some odd students graduated from Pickerington High School North, with $11.8M in scholarships.
Honestly, Pickerington's graduation is one of my favorites if not my favorite commencement ceremonies. They hold it in World Harvest Church, I have been to quite a few ceremonies in mom's 13 years in the district. Especially around the time of my high school experience. I attended Pickerington's '08 commencement, Pickerington and Lancaster's '09 ceremony, PHSN and LHS's '10 ceremony, and again in '11. Even with all of those, Pickerington's '15 commencement ceremony is my favorite.
Each commencement ceremony is entirely it's own and unique. The speeches are incredible. Each year the senior choir sings
For Good. They're always good, but this year they were incredible.
(Elphaba)
I'm limited
Just look at me
I'm limited
And just look at you you can do all I couldn't do
Glinda
So now it's up to you
For both of us
Now it's up to you
(Glinda)
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most, to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good
(Elphaba)
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
(Glinda)
Because I knew you
(Both):
I have been changed for good
(Elphaba)
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done, you blame me for
(Glinda)
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share
(Both)
And none of it seems to matter anymore
(Elphaba)
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes the sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
(Glinda)
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird
In the wood (Harmony over Glinda)
(Both)
Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better
(Glinda)
And because I knew you...
(Elphaba)
Because I knew you...
(Both)
Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good...
This is the first time I've gone to commencement and not sat with mom. This year she distributed three diplomas. Jade and I surprised her by deciding to go with her to the ceremony and sit in the audience without her. I'm not sure what was in it for Jade but I was needing a renewed dose of hope and inspiration. And where else is better than a room full of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed teens who still have the drive and hope that they will change and save the world.
"What you do matters, but why you do it matters much more."
I needed that after this less than inspiring week. But here's to a better week! A renewed drive to the job hunt. Jade's last day of school. Mom's last week of school. A visit from a sorority sister (my
Ride or Die) and Jade's high school graduation.
"Every part of you is made of love and care and beauty, and no matter how you feel today that will be true. Just because you've been temporarily blinded by insecurity; just because you've been hurt, or you've made mistakes; just because it seems like things will never get better, they will, and you will. And things will be okay. Things will be okay."
It's okay to have a bad day, week, month, year-- but it's important to keep it in perspective... We're all alright. "And things will be okay. Things will be okay."
