Congratulations, Graduates

There is perhaps no event or occasion in the life of a community that is greeted with such universally shared joy as a high school graduation.

Even for those of us who may not have a direct connection to a graduate, graduation season evokes deep memories from our long-ago youth, when our lives were carefree and lay before us with the promise of limitless possibilities and better things to come.

A high school graduation reminds us of the investment that we as a community have made in the education of our children in the expectation that they will make the world a better place. Their teachers, coaches, and others who have mentored the grads for 12 years can feel justifiable pride in knowing that their pupils will be well-prepared for whatever may come their way.

For every parent of a graduate, watching their graduate walk across the stage to receive a diploma is the epitome of a bittersweet moment. We are proud of what he or she has accomplished, but we are reminded of how quickly time has flown by — and that our graduate no longer is a child, but is a young man or woman set to embark upon the world. It brings to mind the sentiment expressed in that song from Fiddler on the Roof:

“Where is the little girl I carried?

“Where is the little boy at play?

“I don’t remember getting older,

“When did they?”

For the graduates themselves, the receipt of a high school diploma marks as sharp a transition from one aspect of their lives to the next as any they will experience. Whether our grads are pursuing higher education, work, or the military, they no longer are considered to be children, but are full-fledged adults who can vote, enter into contracts, and fight wars — and who will be held to the higher standard of adult behavior.

We know we join with all of our fellow residents in offering our congratulations to the members of the class of 2015 and in wishing them well in their future endeavors.