If I were a Grad Again
Summer is a busy time for parents and graduates. There are just so many things that need accomplishing! Emptying the dorm room, moving your stuff, finding new outfits for commencement, attending said commencement, shaking (and then sanitizing) hands, posing for endless photos with your family, happy hours with friends, dinners with grandparents, barbecues with aunts, uncles, and cousins, more photos, finding a job… Are there even enough days to do AND enjoy everything?
Quite a few moons ago, I completed my undergrad in Slovenia and a Master’s degree in the United States. The most striking difference between the two countries was graduates’ attire at the ceremony. The tradition of wearing a cap and gown ensemble doesn’t really exist in Slovenia so the graduates attend the commencement in their own interpretation of ‘dressed up’. I’ve always liked Slovenian take on this, but boy, do I LOVE the tradition of wearing a cap and gown! I remember how regal and important I felt when I walked across the stage at my US commencement, received my diploma, moved the tassel, and got hooded. It was incredible! I was Royal for a day.
The excitement of graduation carries on well into the summer, at least mine did, and there was never a shortage of weekend trips, ad hoc barbecues, and hanging out with family and friends, feeling carefree. If I were a grad today, I wish I had a cool little portable grill to grab any time someone wanted to hang out in the park, and a portable AND waterproof speaker to play our favorite tunes. I am pretty sure I’d also appreciate a cool piece of jewelry to add a bit of sparkle in the Sun.
And when I was ready to start a new career out of college, this nice smelling candle would bring a big smile to my face while drinking coffee in the kitchen of my new digs. I would check my watch to see if I was running behind, and make sure that I had my classic fountain pen in my work bag. And when I got home after a long and exhausting day, I’d find my self-care subscription box, courtesy of my parents, at my doorstep.
Ah, to be a grad again…