Graduation is for Families

Yesterday Hans graduated. Well he had really already graduated, but now that he's walked and officially flipped that tassle to the other side, and I guess been hooded, it's official! My parents wanted to be there and Hans had a sister and brother who also flew into town for the ceremonies. It has been a really fun couple of days.
  One thing I wanted to share was about the lack of families. Now I realize that this is graduation and most families with kids simply called a sitter, but I wanted Lincoln and Holly and Alex to see the fan fare and watch as their dad, accomplished a huge goal in his life. I know years from now I will be reminding them of this time and what it really means. I am hoping that they will  see the example of a goal set and achieved through hard work from their Dad, and follow in his footsteps.  It was an interesting experience to watch and hear the cheers form other graduates. Those who were getting an undergraduate degree were usually met with cheers from siblings and mother and father, it was heart warming, but I noticed also a large gap in the family cheers among the doctoral graduates and Master's graduates. The cheers were less and as I tried to locate the family for each quickly, I was met with a spouse and no other family many times.  So here is were I make my plug for families. Many students wait to have kids. They want to be settled or making more money or have a real job of some kind, So they focus on themselves and study like crazy. They miss movie night and wrestling time; they miss school plays and preschool graduation. They don't know what it is like to sit in a hospital room with their wife and new baby close by while typing the last bit of a paper due in 6 hours. I have heard them say they couldn't get it all done with kids, and that it will all work out later when they have graduated. I am here to say today, that is not the case. Hans is a wonderful example of a Man who completed his graduate degrees on schedule with others who put off children. 
  I look at where we are now, and I know that Hans did all the hard work, but I also know that our family has grown stronger for the sacrifices we made together. That isn't experience you can tell your children about in 6 or 7 years when you get around to having them.  I hope Hans knows how much we love him. I hope Hans knows how grateful I am to be his spouse. It will not matter how many ditches we back into, how many lemon cars we buy, how many houses we have piered, because we only become closer and stronger as a family for each and every experience we go through.  I loved that Lincoln took a picture of Hans as he walked out with the graduates. He was the only kid around, other than Holly and Alex, but you could see the pride in his eyes when his Dad stopped the line for a few seconds so his dad could pose for a picture. That moment will always be non-existant for others, and I think that is sad. When we get home I'll find that picture and post it with this entry. Congratulations Hans!