Our baby just graduated from law school. There should be an appropriate picture here but my camera battery was dead and my kids haven't sent me their pictures YET. So picture black robes with red velvet bands on them.
Anne (pronounced Annie) walked across the stage to the cheers of her family and friends. Her parents, four sisters and two of her brothers let out a loud synchronized “Wahoo, Annie!” In other graduations our family has participated in, the practice of yelling or clapping for individuals was strongly discouraged but happened occasionally anyway. Good grief! A student has worked hard to reach a proud point and all he/she merits is a quick reading of a name (often poorly pronounced) and a dash across the stage as the next name is announced? I liked Anne’s graduation ceremony. Each name was read loudly and carefully as the student paused at the front and then walked across to be handed a diploma by the dean BEFORE the next name was read. Several students waved, or held their hands up high or did a 360. Everyone cheered and clapped. I think my favorite was the little boy behind us who stood up on his seat and yelled, “Way to go, Grandma!” It was nice to be able to let out a loud cheer instead of a synchronized whisper (which also carries amazingly well.) It was a joyful occasion, as it should be. Each of these graduates had worked hard to be there. As we were informed by the slightly long but informative introduction by the dean, there were ten applicants for every available spot in this class of 2007. Anne, our tall willowy blond with a million dollar smile was, of course, the most beautiful one there.
Going to law school was Anne’s own idea. She graduated 3 years ago with a bachelor’s in recreational therapy management. From her years of summer work as a counselor in wilderness survival programs for troubled youth, part time work in a detention center and an internship in a therapeutic school for boys, she decided she wanted to be involved in the juvenile court system. She saw a need for good compassionate judges, prosecutors and defenders. So, after securing a great job, she decided leave it and spend the next several years in poverty to study law.
This is typical of Anne’s life. She decides what she wants in life, researches and considers the pros and cons, makes her decision and goes for it. Law school was that way. During her 3 years of study she was on the law journal staff, wrote and had published a paper based on her freshman intern experience, was a member or the national moot court team and won a contest for designing a new law school T-shirt with the creative help of her brothers.
Anne has an amazing ability to care for others. She loves babies and older people and people with physical and mental challenges. She has lots of friends because she is a loyal friend. Maybe because her budget is tight or because she is creative and willing to give of herself she thinks up great Christmas presents like a packet of foot soaking salts complete with a total foot massage (painted toenails, too) or climbing up on the roof to put up and take down our Christmas lights, or sewing or making things for friends (quilts, framed photos, sky diving pants.)
Can you tell that I am proud of Anne along with all my kids? It was so fun to share this wonderful occasion as a family.
Wahoo, Anne! Go for it!
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6 comments:
Wow, did her braces really cost a million dollars? No wonder I never got that new car I asked for each year on my birthday :)
I'm so glad you wrote about this. It was a great event and Anne is ultra-awesome (!) but I was feeling bad I hadn't gotten around to writing something yet. Thanks Mom.
I can tell that you're just about bursting with pride. What amazing kids you have! Julie knocks my socks off every time she posts, as do you. You're a remarkable family and I enjoy watching you from afar. =)
Congratulations Anne and congratulations mom :) !! You both deserve a big pat on the back!
Wahoo Anne!
I agree with you - She is a very giving person. She even took the flowers she got for graduation and gave all the girls in the family a little boquet on Mother's day.
Just wish she weren't so skinny and gorgeous - it makes the rest of us look bad :)
I grew up telling Anne that she was adopted, that she had a bubble butt, that you had so many kids because you were striving for perfection and you reached it with me (your eighth child), and she was just an accidental aftershock.
The truth is all of you children are amazing, but I have come to realize in the last few years that my little partner in crime may have surpassed all of us in some areas. I'm proud of her for graduating from law school. But more impressive is that instead of going crazy and getting bitter about life like most lawyers, she has bettered herself as a human being while dragging herself through a rediculous amount of school work.
Anne is truly as beautiful inside as she is outside. She is genuinely concerned about everyone around her. She also maintains a healthy assortment of hobbies including an awesome boyfriend, skydiving, basejumping, marathon running, thrifty shopping, and spending time with her hundreds of adoring friends. So maybe it's agood thing she was so picked on as a kid, so she doesn't develop a big ego.
Thank goodness I did graduate or else I probably would have been reading this during class as usual. Then I would have cried in front of my teacher again. Thanks Mom for the post and thanks sisters for the very sweet comments. Don't you all know I learned everything from you? When we bought our graduation robes there was an option to buy a "stole of gratitute." I had no idea what that was, but I was informed that it is a sash you wear at graduation and then give to the person who helped you through lawschool. I decided against the purchase of a stole because I would have had to buy one for everyone in my family. You were all so wonderfully supportive and helpful the whole time. (Plus, as mom said, I am cheap and they were $18 bucks a piece)
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