Different Graduations -- Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

Different Graduations -- Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

We were fortunate to attend our granddaughters’ high school graduations during these past two weeks. Both exceptional, they were quite different, as one was virtual and the other in person, live, with people nearby.

In both cases, we powered through the speeches, and the accolades that helped us celebrate the successes of our lovely granddaughters who have accomplished so much in such a brief time. Many of those speakers acknowledged the struggles associated with the COVID crisis and its attendant restrictions.

Virtual or not, the elements remained the same; good fortune, good weather, Pomp and Circumstance, graduation regalia, exceptional and exciting guest speakers and energetic graduates whose accomplishments were honored. The virtual ceremony, though shorter, was as delightful as the in-person ceremony.

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We were at the virtual graduation because of restricted attendance. we joined the celebration via computer, and we casted the image to our TV. I imagine the one silver lining of a virtual graduation is that family and friends who may not otherwise have been able to attend joined the celebration via their phones, tablets, or computers.

Schools did what they had to do to make the best of the situation. The graduates’ acceptance and involvement, beaming all the way, added to the joy of the occasion. Our granddaughter’s school did an excellent job by adding as many personal details as possible to their virtual ceremony. I commend them.

It was wonderful to watch, but when it was over, we clicked off the computer and, save for the memory, our attendant joy was blunted. Diane and I looked at each other in silence, smiling with pride as we toasted our graduate with a glass of Prosecco.

But I must admit, I’m tired of hearing about the new normal. I’m tired of Zoom. I want it to be the old normal. As a senior citizen, I can blurt, “In my day . . .”

Our other granddaughter graduated two weeks later, and we were lucky to get tickets for the live, outdoor event. It was just as special and encompassed all the elements of the Zoom save for one added value . . . fellowship, in person.

It is important for me to be in the company of others, to observe body language, elegance in dress, smiles, frowns, tears, laughter, joy. I believe their presence is critical, at least for me. At the end of the ceremony, we stopped, then wandered, bumping into long-time friends, also grandparents of graduates, laughing as we reminisced, particularly the days of our youth, and now, here we were, at the graduation of our granddaughters. And we took pictures; lots of pictures.

I like conversation, the company of others, the clutch of old friends, and shared memories. I’ll accept the embarrassment of vacant names and gaps in words.

Though the specifics of our graduation celebrations may have been different, the triumphs were the same.

Whether virtual or in-person, graduation is a monumental moment in the life of a student. We appreciated being a part of our granddaughters’, no matter how.

Dr. Ed Iannuccilli is the author of three popular memoirs, “Growing up Italian; Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories”, “What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner” and “My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High.”  Learn more here.