CONGRATULATIONS TO GRADUATES!!

Congratulations to all graduates everywhere this summer. What an achievement.

On a scale of proud mother moments from birth through to their first words and steps, first day of school, first homemade card, first carol concert, GCSE’s, A’Levels and everything else in between, yesterday was right up there with the biggest of them. My son graduated from university and has become a fully fledged human of the world. It was a genuine triumph for him and a massive achievement that will remain for the rest of his life. It was a glorious day and his university seems to do this sort of stuff rather well – I felt as if I was in Hogwarts most of the time, with silver chalices and serpents and all manner of shiny silver things and strange hats (and an awful lot of clapping).

Before we went in – does he look like he’s levitating?

Here is the two of us are before it started:-

On the stairs going in:-

and afterwards with his certificate – woohoo:-

I went to stay with him the night before so that we could go out for dinner and then not have to rush picking up the gown (hired out for £50!!!) and getting in the queue for the ceremony. We met his father there and he and I watched our little shiny graduant (apparently what they are called before they are conferred) turn into a fully fledged graduate up on the stage after a very strange handshake and a shout out. In fact we watched with fascination an awful lot of the brave new world collect their certificates. It brought a tear to my eye just thinking about that sea of expectant, young happy faces and what they will all do now they have been set free to follow their path. Or at least stumble around a number of different paths for years on end trying to find their way. But so exciting for them all. The latest statistics suggest they will all have more than one career and travel – where will they go? What will they do? Interesting, but not surprising that there were only a smattering of women in the Physics and Astro-Physics departments, lots of old hippies in the Dr of Philosophy sections and a rebel female who came down the stairs and flashed a bikini to us all under her robe. Good for her. She will be talked about for years to come – not sure how her parents were feeling though? We then all spilled out onto the grass to take photos before going and getting thoroughly pissed at a slap up lunch.

The sea of faces – but as a mother – I would recognise his anywhere:-

So, I have to say that I am not just proud of my son, but proud of my ex husband and myself because we successfully managed to thoroughly enjoy the day without in any way discussing things that cause a clash. We were there to celebrate our son’s achievements and that is exactly what we did.

Well deserved champagne all round (and roll-ups):-

I didn’t go to my graduation. I’m a bit disappointed now that I don’t have the photo to be proud of. Then again I went to a university-formally-known-as-a-polytechnic so what did I expect – the ceremony would have been in some concrete box somewhere no doubt and everyone was far too left wing communist socialist to agree with that sort of rubbish. So I’ve made up for it now at his….