Well, it's been quite a couple of weeks around the Barmash house, but I am very please to tell you that Seth graduated high school yesterday!

Seth has been going to a private Quaker High School near where we live, a school that is well known for its international student body, nurturing of the "free spirit" type (which Seth most definitely is), and academic excellence. 

The weekend began with a Meeting for Worship for the graduates and their families. Of course, it was like 95 degrees late Friday afternoon, but the breeze was comforting as were the surroundings. If you have never attended a Quaker meeting, you should understand that people sit in a square formation - with rows of benches facing toward the center. You have no choice but to make eye contact with people within your line of vision, which can make things rather interesting!

The service began with 5 minutes of absolute silence -  a time for quiet reflection. As we sat there, silently, my eyes caught an old friend of mine- someone my husband had graduated high school with and was a friend of my brother's when I was a kid. Our boys have been friends since nursery school. She was staring right at Seth, smiling, with tears running down her cheeks...that's all i needed to see and then I lost it!!!

Then, a small group of teachers arose and sang the most beautiful hymn to the graduates that made everyone cry! Several parents and graduates got up to speak (at a quaker meeting, you stand and talk about whatever is on your mind when you want to), as did a couple of older brothers and sisters. Seth made an allegory about something that had happened at the last meeting of students, relating it to growing up and accepting responsibility, kind of summarizing his experiences at George School. He also remarked about a comment that the school's headmaster had made earlier that day at rehearsal, and expanded on that a little...he  was so VERY profound and philosophical...it blew me away.

Dinner was held in one of the buildings, and we were served by the incoming seniors (another GS tradition). It was so much fun, and we really enjoyed table hopping and talking to some of the kids who have become such an important part of our family. It was great also to meet some of the parents of the kids who board at the school - so many of them were frequent overnight visitors here but i had never had a chance to meet their parents.

Graduation was held on Saturday, and once again, it was like 97 degrees! It took place in an outdoor theater area that is surrounded and interspersed with tall trees that provided some shade, but which didn't really help all that much. The girls wear long white dresses, and the boys, unfortunately for them in this heat, had to wear white tux jackets, black pants and bow ties. 

What a sight it was for us to see this amazing group of kids- young adults from so many countries and cultures (GS has a LOT of international students), all in white (with a beautiful red rose pinned on them by the teachers) and absolutely gorgeous! 

After a short welcome by the Head Master, there was that typical 5 minutes of quiet reflection. I have to admit that I thought a lot about you all during that time...I thought about the struggles our kids go through, the fear and worry, all of the kids and adults among us who are not doing as well as we would all like, those who have died, and those who are doing well, and the young mothers among us who can't begin to imagine that one day their child could be graduating high school. 

The ceremonies were very different than i think most of us have seen- very warm and friendly. Of note is another tradition where the graduates all give David (the head master) something when they accept their diplomas. One year, they all gave him leis, one year they all put marbles in his pockets, etc. This year, the kids decided to give him barrettes!!! Poor guy, by the end of the thing he had like 50 barrettes in his hair, barrettes on his jacket, in his pockets....too funny! 

It was such a thrill for Mike and I to see Seth stand so proudly on the lip of the stage and as he walked up to David to get his diploma. They shook hands, and we cried like babies!!!  

Last night, Mike and I were talking about how much we were going to miss his friends, and our usual houseful of boys eating us out of house and home, rehearsing in the basement (the band practices here), sleeping on floors, sofas or beds, making a ton of noise and turning our house into such a messy but happy place. We will most definitely miss them when they all go off to college.

We talked about the difficult and scary times, the tears and the fears that you all know so well, and the tremendous feeling of pride and satisfaction in seeing this kid, now so full of promise, so talented and driven by his passion for life. 

And we gave thanks for the milestones that become miracles...for our son, and for you and/or your kids.

P.S. Seth  is currently a sophomore at the University of Southern California, majoring in Music Industry.