One year ago today, I proudly graduated from Auburn University. It should have been one of the most exciting days of my life; filled with joy, celebration and laughter. Instead, at the end of my graduation day, I was glad it was over.
Why, you ask? Well, Auburn decided to do things differently last year and have graduation outside in the football stadium. Awesome, some people thought. But not me. At our 9:00 am ceremony, it was already greater than 90 degrees outside. Turns out there isn't much shade in the middle of the football field, no breeze and our pitch black cap and gowns soaking up the south Alabama sun didn't help either. And of course, the School of Nursing was the second to last college to graduate out of more than 3,100 graduates. As I finally walked across the graduation stage, I was just thankful I didn't walk right out of my sweat drenched heels. Event staff hurriedly handed water out to students on the verge of passing out and by the end of the ceremony, barely any students hadn't removed their cap and unzipped their gowns attempting cool off. Rumor had it that an elderly person was taken to the hospital after sitting in that heat. Needless to say, graduation wasn't held in the stadium this year.
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Now, as graduation approached I didn't expect much from Paul or my parents. On graduation weekend I saw BMWs with red ribbons in the parking lots, bouquets of flowers, cheesy balloons and friend's cakes decorated in orange and blue. None of which I asked for from my family, so none of these things did I receive. My graduation was understated and looking back, a bit of a letdown. I worked extremely hard to earn that degree and on my graduation day, celebration was minimal. And while I didn't complain in the immediate aftershock of graduation, over the past year I brought to Paul's attention that my graduation was kind of a dud. Too late now, it's come and gone. Congratulations to me.
Well, Paul doesn't give up that easily. Sure, he'll admit he may have dropped the ball one year ago from today but Paul believes in redemption. He is the quintessential romantic and doer of grand gestures. So, yesterday he did just that. I woke up to find a banner hung on the wall that read CONGRATS GRAD. That's sweet, I thought. When he called me on a break, he explained that he had invited some friends over for supper to celebrate my belated graduation. When he got home from work he brought in more graduation goodies, including a balloon, graduation plates, napkins and tablecloth. Last but not least, he brought in the cake. Decorated in orange and blue with a cap and diploma on top, the cake read "Congratulations Bethany War Eagle".
I cried. I literally cried. In moments like these I know and feel his love for me. We spent the evening with some friends, eating good food and laughing the night away. It was a great graduation celebration, free from 90 something degree weather and uncomfortable shoes.
But in all seriousness, while my true graduation experience wasn't quite what I'd dreamed, it holds some memories I won't forget. I'm thankful for the amazing friends I made at Auburn who stood by my side as we sang the Alma Mater on the jumbo-tron. Despite my frustration with graduation, I remember the tears filling my eyes as the fight song played as I left the stadium. And as it turns out, it is kind of special to say I graduated on the field of that season's national football champions.
A lot has happened in the last year but one thing has stayed the same. Paul takes care of me physically but in this case emotionally. He can turn moments of disappointment into moments of happiness and that's one of the reasons I love him.
Love and Happiness,
Bethany
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