Connection with grads, Husky Nation priceless

Twelve and 15 years after our daughters turned their tassels as Husky graduates, there is still something special for me about graduation weekend.
Though the connection to kids grows a bit more distant without some family skin in the game, so to speak, we are typically blessed to be invited to a few senior receptions, a tradition in and of itself which has evolved into a quite a showcase. This weekend was no exception, with several stops to congratulate the honorees, greet family and friends, and try to eat just enough to sample the goods while leaving room for parties still to come.
I’m not very good at that game, truth be told. My “diet” routine pretty much starts and stops with not putting too much on my plate to begin with. Once it’s there, I was always taught to clean my plate. That’s not a good combo when there is so much good food offered up, again and again.
Which reminds me how much time and effort went into planning those events back when we had seniors in the house. Like all parents, we wanted to showcase pictures, honors and keepsakes from the girls’ Husky days, sharing a flood of memories with family, friends, teachers and classmates who helped make them who they were at that milestone moment in time. That’s the fun part, and I still thoroughly enjoy walking down each kid’s memory lane, often learning things I didn’t know about them.
And then comes the menu planning, which admittedly wasn’t high on my radar. Knowing how many stops most guests would be making, having enough food didn’t strike me as a major concern. If you run out of salad or cookies, you run out. That’s a man’s perspective, obviously, and I probably shouldn’t say that out loud. We didn’t and I’m guessing most don’t, with leftovers keeping families fed for a week afterwards.
But the food isn’t what I remember about these gigs. It’s the look of pride on Mom and Dad’s faces, the genuine hugs each graduate gets from a steady parade of people who matter in their lives, and the shared feeling of oneness for being connected in some way to Husky Nation.
I’m not a Husky graduate, and may still be considered a newbie by some after just 23 years, but that’s a feeling I cherish beyond words.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net