Contributed by RL
Yes it is that time of the year when the mail is full of graduation announcements. We all know someone who is graduating. This year alone we have received announcements and invitations to pre-school graduation, grade school graduation, and a couple of high school graduations. I guess all those that we know who are in college are not graduating this year.
Life is moving on and these little reminders in the lives of those graduating help us to see the joy they have in accomplishing a grand event in their lives. We notice the “I can do anything” attitude in these high school graduates’ faces and maybe remember when we were young. (https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=faith+of+the+heart+lyrics#id=2&vid=9e8d5273d084b35ebeadb819f1eb1d9d&action=click)
As you can tell we attended one of those high school commencement ceremonies. This one did not have any high-priced speaker or a leader in the community to give them a sendoff into world. (http://www.graduationwisdom.com/speeches/2019-graduation-speakers-commencement-speakers-list.htm)
There was a concerned principal who was either relieved or apprehensive, I couldn’t tell, of sending her little flock into the jaws of the world after shepherding the students through four years of high school. Along with her words there were a handful of select students giving counsel to the assembled body of graduates to help guide their coming course.
There were many comments on the academic prowess of the group how over ninety percent of them had scholarships to move on to college with many having internships in a field of study that they hope to follow throughout their lives.
This was a very upbeat ceremony, which hopefully the graduates will remember for more than the length of the presentation. The last speaker who was also a graduating student thanked the teachers on behalf of the students for their efforts over the years. Then he explained in, youthful optimism, the need to fail and get up and go again. Our young speaker told the graduates that we only fail when we do not get up and try again. (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/never_give_up)
There was no hint that it could not be done, it would be done, and it would just take time to get to where they wanted to be in life. I hope the graduates do remember the need for being positive and to keep moving towards goals that uplift and help others. The most important lesson taught by our young graduate; never ever give up; period.
In the meantime as the graduation comes to an end; parties need to be gone too and handshakes and congratulations given. Even a hug or two are shared with those smiling happy faces that now have to face the real world.
And if you are invited to one of these parties and you are assigned to bring potato chips. Don’t forget the dip!
We have a little cheese combination we use when we want to zest up those chips. First we re-hydrate a cup of Rainy Day Foods Cheese Blend with 2 to 3 large tablespoons of Rainy Day Foods Nacho Cheese Sauce (It gives it a little kick). You will need to then add 1 cup of sour cream and combine with a teaspoon of dehydrated onion, and a ½ teaspoon of dehydrated mixed peppers. If you would like more cheese, and who doesn’t, add some freeze-dried Monterey Jack cheese. Not a bad little treat!
It’s always hard to be upbeat when the world seems to drag you down. Not everyone thinks you are the greatest thing since ice cream; they think they are. And as you graduate always remember, get up and do! ‘Till next time RL