This past weekend I was in Easton, Kansas for the high school graduation of the Pleasant Ridge Class of 2019.<\/p>\n
I had these students when they were seventh graders, having left them to return to Michigan in the summer of 2014.<\/p>\n
I went to a grad party on Saturday, and walked up to a table of soon to be grads.<\/p>\n
There were no spontaneous outbursts of joy, no illuminated faces, no welcoming or reuniting hugs.\u00a0 My heart broke a little.<\/p>\n
Upon the retelling of this story, people were quick to tell me that it has been five years, that they are teenagers, and that even though it was a lovely gesture to return to Kansas for their graduation, ultimately, the weekend was not about me.<\/p>\n
So, I shifted my attention and spend a lot of time with my friends – former colleagues, parents of former students, and went down memory lane and enjoyed revisiting some favorite old haunts.<\/p>\n
It was a little better when I went to the actual graduation, and former students leapt into my arms and cried a little.\u00a0 I let the the hopefulness and joy that permeates the air of high school graduations wash over me.<\/p>\n
But, by the time the weekend came to a close, I was ready to go home and be back with my (current) students.<\/p>\n
This week was our seniors’ last week of school. The week has been filled with hugs, tears, and gratitude.\u00a0 I love how life is a circle – as a chapter closed in Kansas with the high school graduation of my last group of Pleasant Ridge Rams, a new chapter is beginning with the high school graduation of my first group of Dearborn Pioneers.<\/p>\n
Life sure is a bittersweet ride – and I am grateful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This past weekend I was in Easton, Kansas for the high school graduation of the Pleasant Ridge Class of 2019. I had these students when…<\/p>\n