Tears

It happened … right there in the car …. and I’m not sure why.

I was driving to Roaring Spring from Martinsburg last Wednesday evening at about 4:45. I noticed people setting up chairs along Allegheny Street and realized it was Graduation Parade night.

From Park Street through the light and the whole way out of town, people were setting up their spots with chairs to watch the 2020 CHS graduates pass by.

I passed Gartland’s and Long’s and saw several people in the parking lot getting ready to cheer on the graduates. Chairs were set up in the grass in front of the houses further up the road. Cars were parked along the road with congratulatory signs and balloons.

And then it happened. Tears rolling down my face.

I thought of all the graduates, not just here at Central, but from all of the schools in the Cove, celebrating a major milestone in an all new, non-traditional, convoluted sort of way. More tears.

My thoughts then turned to the families of the graduates. Parents along with the rest of the family, looking forward to seeing their children go through the same rites of passage and achieve the same milestones as the millions who went before, but this year would be different. More tears.

The last game, senior night, prom, banquets, award ceremonies, graduation parties … not this year. More tears.

An entire community, including police, firefighters, business owners and people without a 2020 grad turned out to let these young people know that their achievements matter. More tears.

How lucky that the CHS graduates got their very own parade. Maybe it will become the first annual Graduation Parade.

How lucky that the Class of 2020 has made their mark.

How lucky that others realize that celebrating milestones is special and important.

How lucky to live in a community that goes out of its way to make things as normal as possible for these young people who missed out on so much. You would be hard-pressed to find this kind of involvement in a bigger city. How special this place we call the Cove really is.

It’s happening again and I’m still not sure why…more tears.

Congratulations, Cove 2020 Graduates!