An Alternate Ending

And just like that, it was all over.

It has been an emotional roller coaster these last couple of months- wondering what would happen with my son's high school graduation in light of Covid-19. There were meetings, emails, and letters sent out trying to involve all the stakeholders to see what option would be best.

Many families did not want to have the proposed parking lot ceremony - they wanted the traditional stadium graduation which was always supposed to be final stop on these kids' high school journey. The social distancing guidelines would not allow this on the originally scheduled day, or even throughout most of the summer,  so it was decided to do what could be done on the day set aside nearly one year ago.

It was uncertain back in May just what this kind of ceremony would look like. We attended a parking lot event on a much smaller scale for National Honor Society a few weeks back, but it was a windy day that rendered the microphone useless and visibility was at a minimum for all the participants. I did not have high hopes once we tripled the number of people who would be participating.

One of the biggest aspects of an event such as graduation is taking photos. I knew this would also be limited, but once I found out my son would be one of the speakers (as co-salutatorian) I needed to know what my options were to capture the moment. The day before the event, I was told that I would need to stay in my car because roaming around the parking lot would not be encouraged.

I did not anticipate the atmosphere we would encounter once we arrived at the school.

Imagine hundreds of kids, decked out in their caps and gowns, on their graduation day, in an outdoor setting with their classmates they had not seen in two months. It was more like a tailgate party for a concert at Heinz Field. It made me anxious, happy and confused all at the same time. I kept replaying in my head the conversation, the day before, with a school security officer - then I looked at my son, sitting in the back of our van and I said, "Let's go. It's your graduation day and we are getting photos with your friends."

For the most part, after the graduation photo shoot, we remained in our van. But during my son's speech and when his name was called - the moment required getting out and moving to get a closer view and to be able to hear more clearly. With a large number of people out of their cars, I didn't think I would be the one to get the first slap on the wrist for not social distancing.

It was a night to remember for sure. So many things etched in my memory. The decorated cars, the smiling kids, the Class of 2020 masks, the hugs...Yes, I grabbed moms I had journeyed with for the past 13 years and gave them a hug. I cried so many tears - happy tears. Tears for the gift of this special night which almost was cancelled due to weather concerns. I cried tears of relief that this chapter had a happy ending and so many people made it a priority to see it through and give the kids the recognition they deserved.

But you know what the best part of it all was? The ending. The plan was for the cars to exit the school grounds for a parade leading to the traffic light on Route 30. As families departed, to the sounds of School's Out by Alice Cooper, we were met by people- people who lined the streets to send these kiddos off with the fanfare of a Super Bowl championship extravaganza. The first face we saw was Principal Sean Gildea, who welcomed our family with open arms at the start of our journey in the district 13 years ago.

Teachers, friends, firefighters, police officers, people who just happened to live on the parade route greeted these graduates with shouts of congratulations and enthusiastic waves as they began their next chapter post high school. I don't know who enjoyed the moment more - my son or his father and I.

As I write this, the tears well up again. I am so thankful for this beautiful memory. Yes, the ending was not what we expected but in many ways it was better. Like the storm that precedes the rainbow, the colors outshine the darkness. And for me and my 2020 graduate, those colors will last a lifetime.

EA 2020 graduates Madison Spahr and Nick.