The Apples in My Orchard

It was graduation weekend for my son’s high school senior class. While it was a wonderful occasion, there were some oddities.

• My sister not having a hotel room due to the location having a fire and not notifying them. (It all worked out – She was able to stay somewhere else & she was welcome t to stay with us, too.)
• 98 degrees in May, in Wisconsin – all weekend!
• The air conditioning cutting out at home when we had guests (and 98 degree heat).
• Grandparents visiting for the first time in 5 years.
• A house full of family – rare as we live 900 miles from most of them.
• Noticing that everyone is older – including us.
• Celebrating with a dinner at home, instead of at a restaurant. Priceless!

There were also lots of memories being tossed around. Of course the memories included mischievous things I did while I was growing up. These included:

• Cutting my sister’s hair and telling her it was like a Chrissy Doll’s – it would grow back.
• Pushing our cat around in a baby stroller, complete with him wearing a bonnet.
• The time my sister caught fire – and my father saved her by ripping off the nightgown that had caught the flame. She was four – I was six. The memory is so vivid, it could have happened yesterday!
• Years spent in Marching Band that were not remembered or attributed to a sibling! What?! This is an important reminder that what is important to you, might not be important to others.

There were new memories being made also.

• Our family’s first graduation from our resident district – all new to us.
• Getting through the crowd after the ceremony.
• Photos, lots of photos.
• The Very Best Friend eating the celebratory dinner with our family.
• Lots of Laughter.
• Ten family members squeezed around our table.
• Another high school graduation in the books. Another bright future underway.

Yes, it was a busy weekend with unbearable heat, lots of talking and laughter, and great food. I wouldn’t have changed much. Everyone seemed to enjoy the festivities even though they might have been different from what they imagined, expected, or experienced in their own past.

This piece was written for and submitted to the Slice of Life Tuesday Blog Forum hosted by Two Writing Teachers.org. Thanks to them for all the support we receive from other writers.