Pre-School Graduation

Dear Big Brother,

Last week you graduated from Preschool!

I can't believe you're starting kindergarten in the fall! Weren't you just born?

I was very glad to have had the "day off" (in fatherhood there is no such thing as a true "day off") so that Mom-E, Little Brother, Bab-E Brother, and I could all attend.

Since your preschool is associated with our church, graduation was held in the sanctuary.

We found our seats in time to see a line of 4 and 5 year-olds dressed in mortar boards and white t-shirts with the handprint of everyone in the class. As everyone processed to the front, the sentimental tear-jerking music playing (one of the songs was Darius Rucker's "It won't be like this for long"), it was all I could do to fight back the tears.

I was seriously about ready to burst out crying, when I leaned over to Mom-E and said, "Where's Big Brother? I don't see him."

The sense of slight panic that ensued took care of the tears. My first thought wasn't that you'd been abducted, but rather that you had a tantrum and refused to participate, kinda like what happened with the Christmas Play.

I rushed to the back to talk to the school director, who assured me that you were up there. Turns out you were just standing directly behind a girl who was a little taller than you, and when every child is wearing the same shirt and hat, it was hard to pick you out even with your sweet, adorable smile and face.

And the graduation ceremony was lovely.

I only had to leave once to take Little Brother to go potty. And when we got to the bathroom and he refused to go potty, I brought him right back. I was not going to miss you walking on stage to receive your certificate, even if that meant having to carry a toddler with wet pants.

The cutest part of the ceremony was that when they called everyone's name, they announced what you (told them you) wanted to be when you grew up. There were lots of future "Army Men", a couple of doctors, and even a "Batman" and a "Beautiful Ballerina."

But Big Brother was the only future Engineer in the group. I was very proud (fwiw, dear readers, I'm not an engineer), and I'll be proud no matter your career choice.

(I know that right now you think that an engineer drives trains and occasionally builds things like tracks, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if you became a "real" engineer.)

Your teacher read a story entitled "I can do anything."

And I think that sums things up nicely. You can do anything you want, anything you put your mind to, Big Brother. You're a smart boy. Read those last sentences again--if you set goals, work hard, are diligent, and have faith, you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.

I know this because I saw you trying to open your Batman umbrella INSIDE while at the reception. That's my boy, "thinking outside the box."


Of course, the cake and Sprite afterwards was nice too, even if that meant 2 young boys hyped up on sugar and in need of external catheters.

This was a great day. A wonderful milestone moment in your life.

I love you, big guy. You have an will continue to make me proud to be your Dad-E.
Love,
Dad-E