Taking root not bad idea

link Betty Williamson

Local columnist

My husband and I are members this year of a not-very-exclusive club. I call us POGS: Parents of Graduating Seniors.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that in the United States there are about 3.3 million other families preparing to deck their children out in mortarboards with dangling tassels this spring for the march to receive diplomas.

As parents we have been encouraged to give our children both roots and wings — an unlikely combination if you ask me, and one destined to lead to frustration.

If the graduation cards are right, we also urge our well-grounded, winged young people to reach for the stars, another bad idea. Assuming they shoot for our closest star — the sun (where the surface temperature is a sizzling 10,000 degrees) — they’re facing a 93-million mile journey. Should they decide to set their sights on the next one out — Proxima Centauri — they’re committing to a traveling time of four-plus light years, even without delays at airports. Did I mention this was a bad idea?

As for our graduate, we’re advising her to stick to planet Earth for a while and see how that works out. Who knows? In another 25 or 30 years, she may be sitting where we will be this weekend, watching a child of her own graduate and realizing she’s raised a pretty wonderful human being.

Betty Williamson recommends buying stock in boxed tissues this week, as prices are likely to sky rocket. You may reach her at:

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