The Big Day

Well, the day is upon us. My baby, whose 4 lb 6 oz frame I held in one hand on the day of his birth, is graduating high school tomorrow.

To say I am proud is an understatement. To think, I survived the tumultuous period of my life called "The Teenage Years of My Children", and with most of my hair no less...

Tyler was the caring one. That's not to say the others don't care, but not to the degree Tyler did (and does). When he was but a stripling, he would walk to the bus stop because he didn't want me to be alone on the walk home. When I needed money for lunch, he would take his last few dollars and give it to me so I could get something.

Tyler was also the worrier. He would eat breakfast, then ask what was for lunch. He would have to be told something, otherwise he would lose complete control. He would cry, and continuously ask what was next.

When Tyler cried, he cried from his soul, as my wife used to say. If he needed to be disciplined he would cry like I just ate his favorite stuffed animal.

When he got to middle school he started getting into trouble. Tyler couldn't sit still, you see, and his constant questions and hyper personality did not endear him to his teachers.

He was also very popular with the other students, earning the nickname Mr. Mayor. To this day I still call him that, though I gave him a new one.

At the start of his senior year I was questioning his dedication to his education. Up until now, only one of my kids had crossed the stage at graduation. The rest had gotten their diplomas through various other methods (GED, Summer School, etc). He looked me in the eye and said "Dad, I'm crossing the stage. You and mom deserve to see it."

Needless to say, I was skeptical. He hadn't shown me anything that made me think he wanted to graduate. As the year progressed Tyler tried...hard. He suffered some setbacks, but he kept plugging away. He tried a few different programs at the school to try and keep out of trouble, since he still wasn't his teachers favorite. He was partially successful.

When the year started coming to a close, the wife and I were dubious of his graduation prospects.

Then, he came home, all smiles, with his graduation invitation and the passes for his mother and father to see him walk across the stage. As my wife told me, I started to tear up. I texted him and told him I was proud of him.

Tomorrow he validates all the trouble we've gone through to get him through school. He makes the heated "discussions" with the school staff worth it.

Tomorrow he crosses the stage with his cap and gown to get his diploma. My wife and I will, only for the second time, watch one of our children graduate high school.

Oh, what nickname did I give him?

Mr. Graduate...