Skip to main content

Peter Pan no more


                          It's time. Peter Pan had to grow up. 

 For nearly 18 months of his life, Matthew dressed in this costume. In this picture it's new, just out of the box. He picked the costume out of a catalog and when it arrived, two weeks prior to Halloween, he asked daily if today was the day he could finally wear his Peter Pan costume. He didn't like the hat and only wore it on Halloween, but the rest of the costume he wore daily! You read that correctly - DAILY. He wore it to Meijer (for those of you unfamiliar with Meijer, it's a cleaner, friendlier, more 'upscale' version of WalMart), to church, to play dates and preschool ... Heck, he was three and adorable and it worked for him! 

 (Yes you read that correctly, he even wore it to church on one or two occasions when it seemed arguing with a three year old about not wearing a costume to church was not a battle worth waging. He once mentioned the priests wore dresses . . . I don't think John was home however, when I acquiesced!)

 This weekend, though, Matthew won't be wearing the Peter Pan costume but will instead be wearing a cap and gown as he graduates from DePauw University with a BA in Economics. Peter Pan is all grown up!
Matthew at his high school graduation with Grandma and Mom


While at DePauw, he's co-hosted a weekly radio show (DePauwletics), joined a fraternity (Beta something), studied abroad (really abroad, to Uganda, instead of to Canada as this mom suggested), had two internships (one in Kansas City for four long months and another in Indianapolis for a shorter period of time), been on the debate team (he was really good even before he joined the debate team - as the dressing as Peter Pan daily example shows), experienced all kinds of hi-jinks (a few this mom knows about and a lot more I will likely never know about) and studied hard (when not up to said hi-jinks or studying abroad or interning). He graduates with all kinds of honors but what's more important is that Matthew has 'grown up' (John would say what's most important is that he has a job!).

 I will likely weep at some point this weekend as he receives his diploma. I will likely remember Matthew as the little guy in the Peter Pan costume as I see him in his robe. Okay, 'likely' should be changed to 'definitely'.

 Anyway, I'm particularly struck by the 'all grown up' phrase because as parents that's what we are supposed to do. Our job is to raise our children to be functioning adults - (and along the way embarrass the heck out of them!)? So far John and I have been successful at our job of parenting, and we should feel like celebrating. But it's a bittersweet celebration because each milestone means just that - a MILE stone or another mile away from the nest we call home.

 I was happy when Matthew finished his Peter Pan phase. By the time he was done with it the costume was pretty miserable looking (the tights had been replaced a few times and always had holes), and he moved on to super heroes. This time, he's moving on to be the hero in his own story. 

 And I'm in Neverland crying and cheering simultaneously. Fly Matthew. Fly.

Comments

Post a Comment

It's not a popularity contest, but ...

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

I put my pride aside and got my ass off the grass and into the wheelchair. {I spent a couple minutes deciding whether to put an exclamation mark after that declaration or to put the period after that statement. I think the period better suits my mood about getting said ass into the wheelchair!} On July 4, Saugatuck has a wonderfully unique parade that includes quirky participants like the artsy-fartsy campers at OxBow art colony and the LGBT members of a local foundation along with the more traditional participants like Girl Scouts, fire trucks, and local politicians. It had been a couple years since I had been to the parade, this year, though, my Mom and sister were in town and I wanted to take them. So we loaded up in the van, including Kerri's wheelchair and my own. Once we parked, John asked if I wanted to use my chair and I initially balked but then remembered that it can be a long, hot parade and it might be better to have a place to sit. So, I acquiesced and took the cha...
2 comments
Read more

Fairy Tales

What do London Bridge, Humpty Dumpty, The Three Little Pigs and Kathleen Piggins have in common? They all fall down!  Well with the Three Little Pigs it's not the pigs that fall but the house but I have three not-so-little Piggins and it just seemed appropos to include that fairy tale here! Because this is a tale about falling down. But it's also about getting back up! At last night's Douglas Social  my friend Kris and I meandered through the crowd greeting and often hugging friends along the way to the beer/wine tent - I spotted a friend that recently moved to the area and went to give her a big hug. and after proceeded to fall flat on my arse. Time seemed to stop and it felt that the all eyes in the crowd were on me as I landed and then proceeded to get back up with the help of friends. One of the saddest part of the fall, was that I had just gotten my first glass of wine and it was now all over me.  I thought "Thank goodness I was drinking white". And t...
1 comment
Read more

March Madness

The March on Washington was one of the most powerful and positive experiences in my life - all 56 years of this life. And this post, I have to warn you, will be as disjointed as the March! I got to go with Matthew!! And we weren't sure if Delaney was going to be able to join us, but were thrilled that she could. She got to our hotel about 6:30 am having driven all night with two of her friends. After less than an hour, we all piled into the Subaru and began our trek through the complicated and congested DC highways and byways. After our drive Friday along the tollway through Ohio and Pennsylvania, where we encountered many many many others also going to DC and the March - I wasn't surprised by the traffic or the packed-to-the-gills Metro on Saturday morning. What did surprise me, however, was that once we got to within a mile of the March, there were more people than I had ever seen in one place. Okay so the last picture wasn't taken at the March - but it se...
Post a Comment
Read more