Moving Up With Pride

Last Thursday, my eldest son just graduated from nursery and has been approved by his teacher of moving up to kindergarten. It was my first time to attend a graduation ceremony as a parent with my child graduating. My son finished as the top student of his class, earning his First First Honor. He was also given the awards for Best in Math and Best in Science. He also received other non-academic awards like Most Diligent, Most Friendly and Well-Groomed Pupil. Like any proud parent, my wife and I took turns coming up the stage to help our son wear his medals in front of his schoolmates. I was so proud of him. I knew from the start that my son would turn out to be smart, in fact, even smarter than his dad. My son is a genius and has all the potentials to be great. As a parent, the heavy responsibility to make sure that these potentials are to be taken care of falls upon me.

It was perhaps the longest graduation ceremony I have ever attended. There were at least 4 song and dance presentations from the students, an enthusiastic but very long speech from the guest speaker, and an eternal list of academic and non-academic awards to be given that afternoon. I almost did not make it at the graduation ceremony. That morning I was kept almost inside the O.R. for the entire day due to two very long procedures. I went inside the O.R. at 7 a.m. and went out of the O.R. at around 1:30 p.m. I was not able to attend the Mass prior to the graduation but then again we made it just in time for the start of the ceremonies.

My mother-in-law and brother-in-law gave Rien their gifts. My son perhaps went home that day carrying the biggest boxes of gifts. This June, he will be in kindergarten already. Another new adventure begins.

Next week will actually be the last week for March and after which, the final month for the PGIs begins. It is the last stretch of the long journey towards the starting line of the longest race of my life.