Kaebri high school graduation - Covid19 style - via video!

Here I sit at my computer waiting to watch Kaebri's high school graduation.  In normal times I'd be at DSU Burns Arena with the whole family ready to scream and yell at the appropriate times...but not this time.  This will be a graduation that will be remembered long after because it will be so unique.  Kaebri dropped by her graduation announcement today, along with instructions of how we can "tune in" to watch the prerecorded, spliced together film they worked out to be the graduation ceremony.  It was so good to visit with her and hear her tell about how she and some friends did their own little senior prom day date, dinner and dance since they couldn't possibly do it as a school.  And tonight, after the on-line graduation they will car parade to a spot at Staheli Farms where they will park and watch a drive-in movie of school memories together.  They have spent their last quarter as seniors at home doing on-line school.

 I had a "Weed moment" during all of this - a time when I miss her and am sad that she isn't here to be a part of this important milestone in one of her children's lives.  I comfort myself hoping that somehow she is watching, and is not sad watching, because she is in a different time zone, a heavenly time zone, that makes it so she knows and it feels like to her that they will all be together again "soon".  I hope and pray that's the case - that she's watching, sending love, and doing it happily. 

One of the graduation speakers - class president I think - spoke about a new word she discovered that seemed useful in this whole corona virus disruption scenario that we are in and in speaking of their lives and the disruption of the normality of this end of high school year and graduation.  The word is anti-fragile. It's meaning is way over my head, but in a sort of simple way is described like this:  In his 2012 book, Antifragile:  Things That Gain from Disorder, Taleb offered the following definition: “Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk and uncertainty.  Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile.  Let us call it anti-fragile.  Anti-fragility is beyond resilience or robustness.  The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the anti-fragile gets better.”  The book's central theme purports that we must learn how to make our public and private lives anti-fragile, rather than simply less vulnerable to randomness and chaos.

 I like the word and think it's good in that life is fragile here on earth and we are always in the midst of something - that's actually why we came - you know - opposition in all things.  And we also know that the way to get through it is the Gospel/Christ's atonement... 'cause we sure can't avoid all the shocks and chaos - like in losing your daughter/mother - in our lives.  So, anyway, I liked what she had to say - wisdom from one so young.  

I'm going off, because this was really a very unique graduation "in the history of ever" as one young speaker put it,  and I don't know that there will be another one like it.  

Andrew Wells, student body president, said this class was born during the year of the 9/11 bombings (2001-2002) and now graduates during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.  Their focus was unity, which got pretty difficult during the last quarter because they had no school at school and could not gather in groups.  Adversity came!  Their theme for the year was - The Spirit of the Storm.  Life is good and can always be good, even in the storms - if we look for good and focus on it.  He did a nice job too.

Hopefully Kaebri gets a copy of the whole thing and can save it for future inspiration!  Her college plans have become disrupted along with the internship she was doing.  Her other job got lost in the social distancing mess too.  But she is happy and hopeful, moving forward in the storm, humble and sweet, giving service to her family and friends in her quiet ways...so much like her mom in that way. I'm so thankful that she is on track, that she has weathered her storms so far and is following the path that will help her to be anti-fragile, and focusing on the good so her Life Can Be Amazing - that was the song they sang at the graduation - in a socially distant,  combined school district choir really cool video.  The combined school district orchestra video was equally awesome.  

Life Can Be Amazing

I'm living right here and now and I don't wanna miss out.

Is this what life's all about? The world is calling and I'm list'ning.

I feel the freedom inside. Come on let's go for a ride.

I finally opened my eyes and I can see it so clearly.

And isn't it amazing.

Oh life can be amazing. Oh I feel my heartbeat racing. I fly!

Soaring ever higher I can light my inner fire.

And then we'll see what happens now! Watch what happens now!

Sometimes we have what it takes.  Sometimes we make our mistakes.

And now the journey awaits so don't you wanna come with me?

We'll make our way to the top. We'll never break never stop.

And when we get to the spot we'll know we made it there together.

We'll remember forever...life is but a dream...

So, I was really impressed with the whole program.  The walking part was about the same...long, very long waiting for the S's to come up!  But, all in all, it WAS amazing.  Maybe it will start a new tradition!