Graduation Day

This afternoon, when J.P. woke up from his nap, he and I went over to Belmont University's campus, or "Belmont School," as he calls it. 

We walked into the Curb Center (Belmont's gymnasium), where Father Ryan High School was holding graduation ceremonies for the 2011 class.  The gym was packed with spectators, but J.P. was especially interested in the graduates sitting in folding chairs on the floor.  He liked their purple graduation gowns and hats.  Once the kids started walking across the stage to get their diplomas, J.P. couldn't take their eyes off them.  I was surprised he didn't get impatient or want to leavel, but we stood and watched almost the entire ceremony.

The really cool thing about being there, though, is that J.P. and I got see Molly Spining graduate.  When I was a second year law student at UT in Knoxville, I drove my close friend, Carl Spining, to the hospital for the birth of his first child after his wife, Erin, went into labor.  His first child, of course, was Molly.  Erin was my first friend to have a child.  Today, I got to see Molly graduate, roughly 18 years later.  And my son, my firstborn, was there with me to see it.

It was pretty special and I was blessed to be there for both events.  Sort of like bookends, really.

Happy graduation, Molly.