Fun Friday – The College Graduation Dilemma

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The tune of Pomp and Circumstance is playing in my head.  My eyes tear up, causing my vision to blur. In less than two weeks I’ll make the trek across two states to see my son graduate…maybe.

We have run into a bit of a hiccup, a slight problem. There are four of us who planned to attend my sons’ graduation. However, the letter that arrived in the mail indicated that, “…each student will receive three tickets. No additional tickets will be given due to the capacity of the facility.”

Dilemma. Who will attend the graduation and who will remain behind – Mom, Dad, Brother, Granny? Perhaps we’ll have to draw straws or play Eeny meeny, miny, moe to determine the graduation attendees. I asked, no one would agree to this.

Here’s each family member’s argument (from my point of view)…

Mom – I carried him nine months, went to every pre-school soccer game, basketball, football, parent-teacher conferences, gritted my teeth through homework assignments and so on.

Dad – helped with homework, disciplined with tough love, taught him to drive…

Brother – he’s my brother and that’s enough

Granny – prayed the hardest, provided guidance, unconditional love

I came up with the above arguments without asking each family member. What shall we do about attending graduation? Here are a few options.

A.       Tell brother “too bad, so sad” you have to stay home

B.      Take a ladder and scale the side of the building and peek through a window to see the graduation ceremony

C.      Everyone takes the trip and make a decision once at the graduation location

D.     None of the above

Two family members have said that they will stay behind so someone else can attend the graduation. 

Hint: It wasn’t me.

One positive thing about this dilemma is that the graduation ceremony can be viewed live stream.

In less than two weeks, the tune of Pomp and Circumstance will be played live as my graduate crosses the room and shakes the hand of a college dean. Another memorable family moment. Is it more important to be there in person or is the end goal to show love and support however that can be accomplished.

Have you ever faced a family dilemma such as our graduation situation? What approach would you take with a dilemma such as ours?

YouTube Video Credit: Miguel Flores