Tomorrow, the world

More than 5,000 students graduated from Snowstorm University this weekend. The class of 2008 included Beautiful Smart Wonderful Daughter, who graduated with honors and who earned a degree in English, with a minor in Psychology, and a degree in Magazine Journalism. The School of Public Communications gave her an award for being "an outstanding student who has exemplified strong, sensitive writing and the potential for being a professional magazine journalist." Her senior honors project was a magazine that she wrote, edited, designed, and produced. The feature article in the magazine was a story about a road trip that she took with -- of course -- her three younger brothers.

Two of my extras graduated as well. Film Guy, whom we've known since seventh grade, graduated with a degree in Television, Radio, and Film. He's my daughter's best friend, and they have lived near each other since seventh grade. Even during her semester abroad, they lived just a few blocks away from each other. And his off-campus apartment is upstairs from hers. Later this summer, they will likely be separated for the first time: her career is likely to take her to a big city in the northeast while his will take him to the west coast. Singing Woman, who has been in school with my daughter since kindergarten, graduated as well, with a degree from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. Her career will likely take her to any city big enough to support a symphony.

Today, I kept remembering when they were all seventh graders and they were at my house for Halloween, acting silly and self-conscious because they were getting too old for trick-or-treating. I can remember thinking then they were growing up too fast. And now, they are college graduates, self-confident, mature, and ready for whatever the future might hold.