Pomp, and circumstances

and so i am now the parent of a college graduate...i will spare you the cliche line, in the blink of an eye...even if it does seem true...mostly...cause we all realize deep inside that as parents we remember it all...everything about raising our children...the good...the not so good...the stuff that turned our hair gray and made us instantly atone and pray for forgiveness for all our transgressions against our own parents...and amazingly there i was in decrepit nassau coliseum...please, someone get that bid and fix the damned place...cold and wet from running in from a truly ugly weather day that every idiot forecaster missed...freezing in that overly air-conditioned arena...holding the tears with each and every chord of pomp and circumstance...a short time earlier we had hugged lauren good-bye as she left to go with all the graduates while we ran for seats...and she turned to look at me as i let go,and there it was...the little face nervous and tentative as i let go the first day of nursery school...the shy smile as she waved from the school bus as the doors closed that first day of kindergarten...the less-than-thrilled look with middle school...high school...harder times...and then the full smile of earned joy at high school graduation...and now today...my lovely daughter...a woman i recognize as sure as the air i breathe...and then don't...joni mitchell's "circle game" in my head...wishing my dad could see this...pure joy sharing this with my mom...taking it all in to savor...looking at those around me...that soft nod of kinship you give to other moms...that shared collective sigh...and tear...to all my family and friends basking in the delight of your own child's commencement...pat yourself on the back...it's your commencement too!