On the subject of "Growing Up"

My little girl graduated from sixth grade today. They don't call it graduation as I guess it's not politically correct or some other reason, but fact is... she graduated.

It seems like it was just yesterday that I put her on the bus for the first time.

At the end of her Kindergarten year, I made a video (hey, it's what I do) where I interviewed the entire class about their memories of the year. I asked them what they learned... some of the answers:

"how to count a little higher than I did before I started school"
"how to read"
"that two wrongs don't make a right. They don't."
"to not destroy other people's property."
"be nice to others... and care about them."

As part of their sixth grade graduation video, I used the old video from 7 years ago as a basis for the final part of their graduation salute. You see, their answers then are as true now. Sure, they may have moved from counting to algebra, from reading to creative writing, but the basics are still there. They will still miss their teacher. They will miss their school. They will miss their friends.

The last two shots told the story best. As the Faith Hill's version of "Over the Rainbow" plays... we see a little girl hugging one of her students at the end of the day. The teacher, youthful and smiling, gives the petite girl with the cute yellow dress and the pink backpack a side hug as the two happily leave the classroom. The teacher hesitates, and turns out the light as the door closes, while the girl looks back one last time at her teacher. That is how the kindergarten version of the video ended 7 years ago.

For the sixth grade version, that scene dissolves into one last one. The teacher, now a little older and showing a little more experience exits the door when she is greeted by that same little girl, who is now nearly a half a foot taller than the teacher. The little yellow dress has been replaced by the more practical blue fleece top and long blue pants. The pink backpack has turned into a more with-it blue messenger bag. The two meet and hug once again. The teacher waves good bye as the student walks around the corner for the last time. Fade to black.

I had seen the video at least 20 times as I had edited and reviewed it, but still, I could not help myself. I was balling in the middle of a gymnasium of parents and kids. I could not control the sobbing of a dad who realized his little girl was not so little any more.

As I looked around, I was not the only one. It seems that imagery summed up the feelings of many of the parents on this day.

I am glad I could share my talents for the good of my girl... and hope that it provided the perfect ending to an amazing journey called elementary school.

I love you, sweetheart!

Yours truly,
Johnny Blogger