Grand Graduation

An old song says, "time is filled with swift transition." Wow! The older we get the more that seems to be true. It seems like yesterday (literally) that we were looking through the nursery window at Mt. Carmel West Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, beaming with pride and joy as we looked into the precious face of our first grandchild. But we could not have been more proud or filled with more joy than recently as we watched her graduate from High School. Kerri has grown into a wonderful Christian young lady.
It was quite a day as four generations of Parsons, gathered with a few thousand others in World Harvest Church in Columbus for the 2009 Class of Pickerinton High School. We could hardly believe that so many people wanted to also see our granddaughter's graduation. Soon they marched in and one by one, we waited for her name to be announced and her picture with the principal on the large screen up front. It wasn't long until the list was complete, the caps were tossed into the air and we were lining up for picture taking.
Later in the day, we enjoyed a great open house with family and friends. Jeff and Angel shared a first class celebration of Kerri's life. We shed a few tears and laughed together as we reviewed the "seasons" of her life. God has been so good! Sue had worked for months on a special project for her "favorite oldest granddaughter." Kerri and her mom sat together on the floor and shared more memories as Grandma had invested hours of TLC into each and every page. Throughout the afternoon, we shared and ate together as dozens came to honor Kerri on her day. Kerri was also blessed to have her great grandparents (my folks) not only at the graduation, but with her all day as well (how many kids can say that?).
It's only natural that grandparents would be proud of their grandchildren and we are! God has blessed us with a great family, and we are eternally grateful. Now as she gets ready to write another chapter in her life, we pray that she will continue to walk with God, who has walked with her ever since that first day - that seems like yesterday.