Today was graduation. I now am the proud owner of an enormous degree.
I was a little "meh" on the ceremony. Partly because it was anticlimactic, partly because of my mood, and partly because at the reception afterwards you could either eat, or meet friends and faculty, but not both and barely either (especially lugging around the degree).
But in the back of the program were the thank yous by students who had given to the class gift. This year the class of 2006 raised money for the loan forgiveness program. People could give as much as they wanted, but as long as they gave at least $20.06 the school arranged for them to honor someone who had supported them through law school. The honor took the form of a mention in the commencement program, and a certificate of appreciation mailed to the honoree.
At first I wasn't sure whom to honor. I briefly considered my parents, and then rejected that idea seeing how I wasn't a little kid anymore - I was doing this law school thing on my own. Plus because my parents are divorced and wouldn't be able to share the certificate I didn't want to have to pick one over the other.
But then it dawned on me I was being a disgraceful daughter. Yes, I'm a grown-up and this wasn't undergrad and I could have done law school entirely on my own. But the fact of the matter is that I didn't. My mom has been an important part of my law school life and done a ton to support me, from relieving me of every day errands and chores, to making my dinner, to giving me rides to school when my books were too heavy, to handling my mail when I was in Germany, etc. (To say nothing of sparing me from having to deal with crummy roommates again…)
So I listed her name with my donation. Not to say I couldn't have done it without her, but to acknowledge that I didn't do it without her. I was very lucky to have had the support that I did, and I appreciate it.