Graduation vs Graduation

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending my cousin's RN pinning ceremony & graduation. Yep - Congratulations to Rainie!!

My mom calls Rainie her 5th child. And, she pretty much is.

Sitting at the graduation, I couldn't help but think of my ASU graduation...yes, 8 years ago this past May. Wow. I could have been a doctor at this point. Well...maybe...if I could handle blood. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science. My graduation consisted of about a million people walking across a stage in a gigantic auditorium. I don't even think people could hear their name being called. VERY IMPERSONAL!

I guess I got the diploma - so that is all that should matter.

A nursing graduation is WAAAAAAAY different. I remember when my mom graduated with her RN. It was very similar to Rainie's. This is how Rainie's went down.

*approximately 59 graduates
*a salute to the spouses and children and families of the
graduates...nursing school is tough!
*a picture of each individual graduate on the big screen as they walked across the stage
*an individual audio recording of each graduate giving "personal thanks" shout-outs
*a candle ceremony with nurses' pledge
*2 graduate speeches - think valedictorian without the grade point average

So NOT what mine was like. It was truly memorable. inspirational. phenomenal.

One of the graduate speeches said that the ceremony would probably make each one of us want to run out to nursing school because it sounds like so much fun. And, it truly did. Only I got to see it pretty much first hand with my mom...and it definitely wasn't always loads of laughs. It is definitely intense. They certainly deserve such a memorable graduation.

On a side note - I think I am turning into my mom. I seem to cry at the drop of a hat these days. AI. SYTYCD. Army Wives. Weddings. and now...graduations. I think I probably cried - literally - a dozen times.

Congrats Rain!!! Yippee!!!