Graduation
A Graduation Ceremony of 24 Students 2009.3.14
Yesterday's strong winds, storm-like rain....in this weather, the occasional clear sky helped my daughter's graduation ceremony commence. It was for a school for Japanese children in Hawaii that opened on Saturdays. Attending since kindergarten, it's been 10 years. Seemed like it was pretty difficult, but she made it to graduation somehow without dropping out. I felt the clear sky during the rain was a reward by God to the 24 graduates.
The spoken words at the ceremony were strangely nostalgic. "Farewell Address," "Formal Reply," "Graduate Representative," "Singing of School Song"....words I haven't heard in over 20 years. And for the first time in a long time, I started to hum, "Auld Lang Syne," to myself.
During these 10 years, the number of students went down quite drastically. Overlapping with going to regular school Monday through Friday, being active in clubs or music recitals made attendance difficult.
Despite those circumstances, the children have come to the graduation ceremony, standing on the platform with their diploma in hand, singing the last song the graduates chose themselves.
The 24 students seemed to shine, looking very proud.
Congratulations!
Birds taking shelter from the rain
at the school.