It's always a lovely moment when you get to celebrate a special milestone in a person's life. Whether it's a graduation, wedding or retirement party, it's an honour and privilege to share their special day and celebrate their achievements and accomplishments.
This past week we attended three celebrations, the retirement party of someone I had worked with for almost three decades, Clare's high school graduation and a pre-prom gathering with some parents to take photos of our kids before they headed out for their big night on the town.
Each celebration left me smiling and feeling joyous. My friend Edward's retirement was a gathering of old friends and co-workers. We were all so genuinely happy for Edward and it was wonderful to see so many friendly faces I hadn't seen in some time.
My favourite part of retirement celebrations is always watching the reactions and expressions on the faces of the children of the person retiring as they realize their parent is more than just their dorky Mom or Dad, but an accomplished professional, beloved by their co-workers.
This wasn't the case for Edward since three of his four kids actually worked at our company for a period of time, but it was still nice to see them all there honouring their Dad.
The next celebration was Thursday afternoon, when hundreds of proud parents gathered in our local high school auditorium to watch our kids receive their high school diplomas.
It was the 150th graduation ceremony of Sydenham High School, and while we knew parents and students had stood before us for the past 149 years, we still felt like our kids were the most special of all, having survived COVID, octomesters (ours was one of the few high schools during COVID where the students took one course, 6 hours a day), and more.
The third milestone was watching this same group of kids get ready for prom. The girls were stunning in their long dresses and up-dos, and the boys donned their best black suits. We all snapped photo after photo as they posed with their friends and boyfriends, without a care in the world, for at least one day at least, before heading out for the formal dinner and dance. If your heart could pound out of your chest with pride, it did yesterday for us parents.
This week's #HappyAct is to cherish and celebrate the milestones in your life. There are a few more milestones ahead for our household this summer. Soon we'll be empty nesters as Clare goes off to university this fall, and I'm retiring fully in August to join Dave.
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