A night of Knights (Part 12)

This "great day" starts at home. There is a unique "new robe" fragrance in the pale blue polyester robes as I press them out each year for our graduates. I run my hand over the deep blue satin sash that reads BHS on one side and 2006 on the other. The girls dress up in their new outfits for graduation -- they must be new and perfect -- even though they are covered up most of the time. This year our exchange daughter's sister came from Oslo to bring her a special silver silk wrap dress for graduation. We spotted our graduate from the Save Mart Center's nosebleed seats by the glittery silver flats she wore.

The ritual of graduation just gets more enjoyable by the year as we learn the ropes of managing the crowd -- "Meet us at the third palm tree after the ceremony!" The best part, of course, is watching "our kid" get a diploma. I hugged my husband last night and whispered in his year: "We did it AGAIN, baby!" He grinned and quietly nodded. It's a precious moment.

We know of no high school graduation ceremony in the world that's as grand as America's. We had a first-time visitor from Iceland with us last night, along with a returnee who graduated from Bullard two years ago. The newbie's impression of the graduation: "It's so BIG!" Well, yes. We do make a pretty profound statement of pride in our children by holding a high school graduation in a stadium large enough to host a Rolling Stones concert.

It's been an incredible year for us, once again having the privilege of experiencing a senior year -- a momentous time in most everyone's life. How could that ever get boring?