Graduation Time
Graduation time was important in our homeschool. When John our oldest graduated, we bought a cap and gown, planned a ceremony, and invited our family and friends to join us as John marched into our den to the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance.” When Bethany graduated we got out the cap and gown again and had another party. We did the same for Mary Evelyn. We gave speeches. We handed out diplomas. The children performed for our guests. We said sweet things about each other and made each other cry.
We took special senior trips, too, not wild jaunts with lots of other teenagers, but wonderful family vacations where we saw places we had studied about while we were homeschooling.
Ray and I traveled out of town last week for another sweet visit with Bethany’s daughters. When we drove back into town, we went straight to the Jackson County High School graduation to see one young friend who was graduating and two young friends who were playing in the high school band. The ceremony lasted almost two hours. It was our first public school graduation in decades, and we enjoyed every minute of it. While I support homeschooling 100 percent, it was encouraging to see ways that our small, faith-honoring community shines. I leaned over to Ray and said, “I love Jackson County.” It is a sentiment we mention often.
It was a night to honor. At the top of the list were the graduates, of course, but many others received recognition from the podium and were asked to stand for applause: veterans, teachers, members of the board of education, the law enforcement officials who were keeping us safe that night, all of the past graduates of Jackson County High, students with high academic achievement, those who succeeded in vocational education, and the students’ parents, guardians, and grandparents. We heard speeches first by the salutatorian and later by the valedictorian who could not hold back her tears.
Many organizations gave scholarships. In addition to those from businesses and organizations were scholarships in memory of specific individuals. One scholarship was given in honor of a student who should have been a member of the 2026 graduating class, but who passed away before he could graduate. Several scholarships were for students who plan to study agriculture or a related field.
The ceremony did not only honor people. It honored God. It began with a beautiful prayer, not by a local minister, but by the senior class president. Also, two scholarship recipients were chosen in part because of their Christian lives.
I was impressed with the great combination of dignity and fun that night. The caps were quite creative—the valedictorian’s was adorned with artificial flowers and fairy lights—and the confetti and caps flew at the end of the ceremony. I was also impressed with the family and community support. Rain sent the ceremony from the football field to the gym, which was full, in spite of there being only about 75 graduates. The principal mentioned that each day the school’s morning announcements ended with the message that the staff loves the students and reiterated that message as these were graduating. I got the impression that the town loves them, too.
Honor is all about treating every other human being like who he or she really is, a person created in the image of God. Jesus promised great reward for those who treat others that way. Remember His words about what happens when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, invite a stranger in, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and go to those who are in prison:
“The King will answer and say to them,
‘Truly I say to you, to the extent
that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine,
even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
Matthew 25:40