Our high school boys just wrapped up their big prom weekend, the last for Aidan who is now 18.  It was wonderful they could do this together.  They had lovely dates and a huge group of two dozen friends to go with.  As is the way where we live, there were elaborate invite and acceptance rituals.  Puns and signs and doorbell ditching.  Texts flew back and forth in the following days, coordinating colors and planning the "day date" which precedes the actual dance date.  Before previous events they have done gingerbread house making parties, ice skating, and mini golfing as a huge group.  They considered doing indoor surfing this time around but one of the girls in their group had hip surgery recently.  It did my heart good to see them put their heads together and consider activities everyone could enjoy.  

After the dance the entire crew landed back here.  They sang and quoted silly videos projected on the big tv.  They played ping pong.  There were the first smores of the season down at the fire pit.  There was whooping and laughing and also quietly animated conversation I picked up about how, "This is the last time we will…. and next month/year when we are off doing……"

Graduation year is always bittersweet for me as we watch our children and their friends prepare to launch.  It's as scary for us as it is for them (very likely scarier) and it often involves a fair amount of landing on one's face and do over's – when that's possible and it isn't always.  Right now though, they are full of promise and hope and we celebrate with them.  

May they take this joy and bury it deep in their hearts as they go out into the bigger world.