Jeanine and I had the privilege of watching our granddaughter graduate from college this weekend. I must admit that it was a bit taxing for an old guy that has some mobility issues, but it was all worth it. Maddison Lynn Nettles received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, with honors, from West Virginia Wesleyan.
Our first trip to Buckhannon was Friday afternoon for her official Pinning Ceremony. It took place in the chapel on campus. The church is a beautiful place and quite a suitable setting to honor the hardworking nursing students.
I was able to be dropped off in front of the facility, so walking was not an issue. The ceremony was relatively short, so my back managed to survive. Our Maddie was undoubtedly the star of the show… at least in our eyes and that’s all that counted. She had quite a following of friends and family to share in her special day.
Saturday was graduation in the Gymnasium. Over two hundred seniors received degrees in various programs. I again lucked out in accessing the facility. I stopped to talk to a security officer who directed me to a parking spot that happened to be as close as you could get to the entrance.
Even though this ceremony was longer it still went relatively quickly. As the proceedings developed, I thought I would make my way to the restroom to avoid being disturbed when it was Maddie’s turn to receive her diploma. As I was headed back into the gym, I found myself in a position of holding the door open for the first group of graduates as they made their way to the stage. I was utterly amazed at the vast majority of the students taking time to thank me for holding that door open. I must admit that in today’s society, I was a bit startled by the manners of these young people. Their simple “thank you” added a whole new level of excitement to what was already a great day. These young people certainly gave me room for hope!
Madison’s day was a great one. She has already been hired at WVU in Morgantown to work in the NICU, which is exactly where she wanted to be. She has rented an apartment and will be moving later in the summer. In the meantime, we get to enjoy her presence. It sure makes this grandfather proud to be able to share moments like these with my grandchildren. It reminds me that my parents never got to feel this joy… that part saddens me on an otherwise very bright weekend.
