What Graduation Means to Me

Graduation.
- A receipt of an academic degree or diploma marking completion of studies.
and or
- A line (as on a vessel or ruler) that marks a measurement.

My daughter is all grown up now. She turned 18 in the spring, graduated High School in June, and moved in with her friend shortly thereafter. I'm not worried about her, because she knows it all. If I have any doubts, all I have to do is ask her, or think back to the many times she has interupted my advice with "I know".

Most of my adult life, I have worked jobs [many times 2 at a time] around the care of my 2 children and this is the last one.
My daughter graduated, and so did we.
Many our previous worrys have been changed with ones which aren't new at all.

When I was 18 and starting out on my own, I needed a full time job.
Child care wasn't an issue, so I could work as much, and whenever I wanted. Groceries, toiletries, housekeeping, laundry, parties, beer, and transportation for one!

Then there were two.
Child care still wasn't an issue, so I could work as much as I wanted. Groceries, toiletries, housekeeping, laundry, really hadn't doubled,  since there were two of us to handle it . . .  [turns out only one of us was in fact handling it] yet the parties and beer had more than doubled. hmmmm . . .

Then there were three. The beer parties were replaced by Tupperware, and Home Interior parties, and I could only work when daycare was available. Number #2 got replaced, and eventually there were 4.
Day care was an issue, scheduals got juggled, teachers called and wrote notes, and eventually, I quit one of my jobs because daycare and taxes ate up more than half of what I made.

Fast forward to now, and we are back where I started, except
There are two, much smarter adults who know what to do with our time.
Child care isn't an issue, so I got a full time job, and weekends are mine once again. Groceries, toiletries, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation for us two is quite managable.
I never did like parties much, and hubby is an AA member.
I quilt, read, buy cheap stuff at garage sales, and I finaly got my motorcycle license, so I can ride the bike I got 2 years ago - a 400 Maxum.
Hubby also works full time, and plays with his wood. He is a very good carpender, and in fact his carpendry work is what has paid for his new [to us] Gold Wing.
and
I can have a spray can of whipped cream in my fridge, and it will be there until one of us gets it out and serves it to both of us! Oh yeah, and I can have ice cream, and  expensive shampoos, and body washes that smell like a slice of heaven, and make up, and a drawer full of clean paired up socks, and clothes that were made this year!  A roll of toilet paper lasts a week, and when I reach down into the cupboard under the sink - there's more!
I even recently bought what Mike calls a "Party Case" of his Hard Lemonade, and I found it to go down smooth - not hard at all, although I still have 9 left. Hey, I can drink them or not! They ain't going nowhere! Maybe I'll keep em till Christmas.
The gem I most  recently learned:
Apple pie and ice cream in the bath tub is pretty awesome after a long day!