Graduation Approaches

My parents are coming in to town this weekend, which I'm very excited about. It's always good to have them here. The reason they're coming is exciting too, I suppose. I graduate with my Bachelor's degree on Saturday. It's been a LONG time coming. I did the traditional thing of going to college and living on campus straight out of high school. I loved it and fully expected to graduate in four years. But, as He so often does, God had different plans. I met this really cute guy at the end of my first semester in college. Half-way through my second semester, I was engaged. After completing my sophomore year, I was married and put education on temporary hiatus. It's a decision I have never regretted for a moment.

Nathan always encouraged and supported me in completing my degree. He was a huge driving factor in me finishing this. When the opportunity presented itself in the form of tuition reimbursement through my employer to continue my studies, he simply said, "Why wouldn't you?" So, I (being the cheapskate that I am and making no apologies for it) have taken the scenic route to my degree. I took only as many classes as I could get reimbursed for. Several years later (after which time, most people have letters and titles such as MD or Esquire) I am getting my Bachelor's. C'es la vie. I'm still finishing and I guess I am proud of myself.

But there's definitely a bittersweet element to it. As thrilled as I am that my parents will be here to celebrate it with me, I will absolutely notice who isn't. It will be glaringly obvious who I don't get to hug. I know without question or doubt that Nathan is so proud of me and very much with me in spirit (I always keep him with me, by the way; not just on special occasions.) But it's just not the same. It was one more thing he made me promise I'd finish. And I am keeping that promise. I know he would have made me walk at the graduation ceremony. I really didn't want to. I especially didn't want to, thinking there'd be no one in the audience to care when my name was called. But I know that's not true. The University of Phoenix requested a photo and word or phrase describing each graduate (i.e. "I Am …"). I thought long and hard about a word that I hoped could encompass me, my journey through my education, and my walk over the past nine months. Nate liked good words. Hopefully, he would think this fits: I Am Perseverance.