Graduation

One moment, you are nervously passing them over to their reception teacher, the next you are watching their graduation ceremony from university. Never mind that our Eldest’s formal education started 19 years ago, that first day at school still feels like yesterday. She had just turned four and was the youngest in the school.

This week has been dominated by going to Manchester for her graduation. We were either getting ready, there or catching up on everything afterwards. We’d spent a day in Bath finding the right shoes, so she didn’t trip on stage, and she found her dress online.

For three of the last four* years, we’ve seen only one part of Manchester, so it was refreshing to see it from another angle, staying over night. I’ve lived in cities, but am most definitely a country mouse now a days. Saying that, I do enjoy the contrast of the city for a short time and a hotel break.

*(The other year she was split between Paris and Beijing.)

She gave us a tour of the campus in the evening, before scurrying off to meet up with friends.

Graduation day

The next day was an early start. She was in the first graduation ceremony of the day. The uni repeats it three times a day for a fortnight to get through all the students. I can’t imagine how they keep smiling and clapping through all those repetitions.

She collected her robe and mortarboard, then on to the official photographs, before we headed to join the queues to go into the hall.

We snagged seats near the front. There was a wait while everyone was seated, but I loved sitting and listening to the organ music. The purple lights danced over the organ pipes in a particular calming manner, so I just drank it all in. The ceremony was lovely and very moving as a parent. Surrounded by other parents, who had simultaneously been on a similar parenting path, oblivious to each other. I enjoyed it far more than my own graduation, but I guess that’s easier when you’re not anticipating your turn on stage to pick up the certificate.

Then it was over and I’m now the mother of a graduate. After group photos with her department and seeing her smiling among her friends, we hit the university souvenir shop. We bought t shirts for her siblings, who were at home looking after Hero the hound. Eldest also came away with Graduation Bear, which seems a lovely and gentle reminder of her last four years. She’s worked so hard.

This is a different post from me and I hope you will forgive me sharing a proud moment. I am exceeding proud of her determination and the hard graft she put in. Now she is ready for the next stage. Whatever it is, I’m sure she will be awesome.

Oh, and my husband’s only regret is that she never made it to a Brian Cox lecture. Might have helped if she’d studied Physics. She didn’t. 

Joining in with Anne’s word of the week linky. My word is graduation.