Beer with a friend or two

It was nice to get a beer with my friend who was visiting his mother today.  Additionally my mate and his girlfriend (or is that partner at our age) also turned up.  It was a lovely short drink - a few beers a nice chat - nice to get some grief off my chest and also to discuss my pride after yesterday's Graduation Ceremony for A.  


I suggest that when they asked the Graduates to turn around and thank their families and friends for the support they'd received and they all cheered and clapped I believe a small bit of dust got blown into my eyes and probably into my throat too.  I thought it was all about them, the graduates, not us, it's what we do isn't it, as parents?  It's my duty and I've never ever thought that it has anything to do with me other than to provide the opportunity and the wherewithal to allow it to happen.  My parents couldn't provide that for me.  I was academically able but we lived in different times and so it wasn't to be.


So I find it interesting to look at these two parallels and to compare them.  I knew nothing about University - my friend - that I met tonight was one of only a few people I knew who went to University and I have to say that in retrospect it would have crippled my family for me to have gone no matter how good I was.  It didn't happen but there you go.  I'm luckily in a position to have been able to support both daughters in doing whatever was practicably useful in their education and that to me is my honour and my privilege and so far they have repaid us handsomely but - you know - it isn't about me it's my covenant that I made when we decided to have kids.  I kind of think that's what my dad did - the best he could for me and once we were established - that was his job done - he didn't need any reward or honour - just to see us well established and making progress and improving on his lot was reward enough.


Oh well that's my 5 pence worth tonight.