Olivia spending the day in Nonna’s back yard.
Olivia in her Graduation Dress. All grown up!
And we had to wait a while. There were over two hundred young people to be called up to receive their diplomas and have their picture taken. But it did give me a chance to wander around and take pictures of the setting and ceremony.
Things got started when the students, who had formed up in the quadrangle above the Convocation Hall were led down the stairs to their chairs by a piper and drummer. It was a lovely entrance.
The Class of ’25
Do you remember this young lady? Children are so beautiful at this age and sweet beyond description. But they grow up too soon. And in this case Olivia grew up to be a beautiful young woman: beautiful and smart, really smart. This year she graduated from High School on the Honour Roll “with distinction”! And last Saturday we went to her graduation ceremony.
In my day graduations were held in the school gym but I think I am behind the times. Olivia’s school arranged for their Graduation Ceremony to be held in the Convocation Mall at Simon Fraser University. It was a beautiful setting.
The day dawned grey and cool and the overcast stayed with us the whole time. But what rain there was was so little as to be unimportant. And although the sky was dreary it was a happy event. People were so proud of their children and it showed on every face. I spoke with several mothers and they were so happy to point out their children in that sea of faces sitting and waiting to be called up.
The list of Graduates. Olivia is 9th from the bottom in the third column.
Convocation Mall at Simon Fraser University. We were outdoors but under cover in case it rained.
The students begin their entrance down the steps to the Convocation Hall led by a Piper and a Drummer
The Students went down the sides of the Mall and up the center isle to their seats
Of course there were speeches but they were, mercifully, short. The students occupied the the front rows with us parents and friends sitting further back. And we were way back almost to the last row!
We came in good time but still ended up sitting way at the back.
Olivia, on the other hand, was sitting up at the front in her gown and mortar board.
Olivia crosses the dias to receive her diploma.
After the ceremony in the Convocation Mall we lost track of Olivia for a few minutes as she and her friends talked excitedly and everyone tried to connect with family and friends. We finally found her and after hugs all around we went up to the reflecting pool in the Quadrangle to take pictures. I actually found it very emotional. We invest so much time and love in our children when they are little and when they grow up they want to be independent of us. It is like losing a loved one. But that is the way it is supposed to be, the way it must be, but it is still difficult.
In the fall Olivia will be off to Montreal for four years at McGill. We are so proud of her and happy that she is spreading her wings. But Nico went off to New Brunswick for four years and he is back now. But who knows? We can only hope.
Here we are after the ceremony standing the the University Quadrangle.
By the time we left the University it was almost 3:00 pm. We arranged to meet at The Keg restaurant where Flynn and Keiko bought us a very nice dinner. We talked about the days events and looked at the pictures we took. It was a fitting end to a great day.
The “Marr Family Pictures” is created by me, Flynn Marr, and is a private photo album of the Marr family and it’s offshoots.
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