Friday, June 10, 2011

Graduate Walk

             So last night I graduated, well walked anyway. I was given the opportunity to walk with my graduating class early since I only had one quarter left at my college. It was super nice of the school to let us students who are in our position do that. I couldn’t imagine not graduating with my friends I’ve been in the same classes with for two years. I’m very happy with everything in my life right now. I feel like I’m in a good place with good people and good surroundings. It’s really funny to see me with all the people in my program of study. They call me their “token white person”. It’s ok though, I enjoy them so much, and I can be the token white person for them if they really need one. HAHA! One of my close friends that were in my degree program, Sasha, was really making it exciting to graduate. I was trying to keep myself calm and nonchalant about the whole thing, but just by the way she was acting it reminded me how special and important graduation is! I didn’t get to walk across the stage for my graduation in high school, neither did my brother. We graduated; we just didn’t get to participate in the ceremonies for one reason or another. The fact that my mother was a TEACHER at the high school we went to really made me feel awful about it too. As cheesy as it was I told my mom that I was going to walk this time, even if it was just for an Associate’s degree – I wanted to make up for my high school graduation.

The reason I wasn’t able to walk in high school is because I was sick so much in high school I missed too many classes to get my work made up and had to take some extra classes in the summer. I had cervical cancer, which would at times put me on the floor making me so sick. It was crazy because my school actually had a program that you could enter if you had some sort of serious illness that you could graduate with everyone else, I didn’t get to be a part of that program because I didn’t miss enough days for it. Go figure. Now that I think about it, my mom took it a lot harder than I did though. I had in mind that it was no big deal and a few surgeries here and there and I’ll be good as new. She (which she didn’t think I knew at the time) was just so scared that something was wrong with her daughter. She’s one of those people who just don’t get scared – of anything! She’s strong and motivated about everything. She wasn’t going to show me how scared she was, I think it’s a coping skill she has acquired throughout her life. If something bad happens she just keeps on going on with her normal everyday life because it’s not important enough to stop her from achieving her goals or taking care of her family. Oddly enough November of 2010 she found out she had breast cancer. This time it was the other way around; I was a nervous wreck and she acted like it was no big deal. She just knew a couple surgeries would happen and she’d be good as new – sound familiar? One of the things (and I’ll never forget this) she said to the Dr. when they told her was, “Are you sure you’re looking at the right chart?” She was just convinced that they had obviously made a mistake and picked up the person’s chart from the next room. But there was no mistake; she had breast cancer. I tell people all the time that unless I told you that she had cancer – you’d never know. She never once acted like there was anything wrong with her or rarely needed help with anything. She wasn’t going to stop what she was doing “just because she had cancer”. She isn’t like that, and she’ll never change. I love it, I love her. I would like to think that I am as strong as her and stay strong all the time. I hope she knows how proud I am of her and couldn’t imagine having anyone else but her in my life as my mom!

Well, it’s off to government class, hope there are no riots going to break out – wish me luck!

No comments:

Post a Comment