The Emotional Values Carried By Graduation Invitations
Introduction:
Remember when you were little and your parents would dress up in formal attire, standing out front on the sidewalk with the neighborhood kids while they waited for other families to pick up their graduates from school? You could hardly contain your excitement as you counted down the days until that very special day. The proud parents would proudly show off their graduate and usher them into a truck with balloons in tow, waving goodbye before heading back inside to celebrate that night. Now imagine meeting these same people again for a different reason: welcoming in a new young person into their family. This time, they don’t have on their best clothing to parade in front of the school and the neighborhood. Instead, they are dressed casually (pant pockets stuffed with tissues and Kleenex, a red stain from popsicles or ice cream on their shirt), as if they just came from a swim meet. Their hair is wet and stringy, colored with streaks of blue or pink or purple. There’s no robe for them to wear as an accessory today; instead, there is a pair of tennis shoes that haven’t been sprayed with hairspray in weeks. Or maybe it’s even the same set of tennis shoes that have been worn every day since August, only now the “new” smell has long since disappeared…
What are Graduation Invitations?
Graduation Invitations are a long-standing tradition that most people in the United States recognize as a rite of passage from high school to college. To the average person, you might see it as only a ceremony or a party with friends, but for some families it is much more than that because it marks their child’s first step into adulthood.
Although this is not true for every family, many times there is an underlying sadness and worry bubbling just below the surface; after all, these are no longer children that do what they’re told. They have been responsible for themselves for quite some time now. Even though a child has graduated from high school, parents still find that their fears come true as their children no longer ask for permission to do things.
In a sense, this is a very hard time for parents who have had to face letting go of the reins and having their children make decisions for themselves. Even though the children are soon to be college bound or possibly moving out of the house entirely, many parents feel that they must still micromanage every aspect of their child’s life. Some parents will recall with particularly fond nostalgia those years when they had complete control over everything knowing it would not be long before they could relax and perhaps enjoy some quality time with their soon-to graduate children.
Significance of Graduation Invitations:
Most people cherish the photo and the memory of those school pictures with their children, but the actual invitation itself is highly significant for a variety of reasons.
In many ways, it’s a farewell to the child that has long since left them behind. The letter will be one last time to see their child as they have always known them: messy hair, messy clothes, oversized glasses or even in a wheelchair . . . or maybe none at all.
This isn’t necessarily bad news; it can bring peace of mind to know that the person you once knew is truly gone forever because now their life has become a part of your own past memories.
In other ways, Graduation Invitations are an expression of love. Not only is there a sentimental goodbye to the child that has long since left them and become apart of your own history, but it also continues to signify the love that you have and will always have for them. It declares to the world that they are still loved no matter what they do in their adult lives and will remain a part of your family even though they may not be physically around. This is typically displayed through the use of double-sided cards: one side for parents and one for children, each with an image or message highlighting what a wonderful person the graduate has become.
Conclusion:
Graduation Invitations are very significant in the lives of parents and children alike, marking what will be a long-standing tradition in their lives. Some families will have a great time mementos while others might prefer to forget the whole thing. For some families, graduation will be a single event that only takes place once; this isn’t always the case though because sometimes parents will hold on to photos for years until it’s time for another child to graduate from high school. Regardless, being able to honor and cherish each of these moments in their lives is an important role that every family must play if they want to make these important occasions truly special for everyone involved.