Generations

My son graduated high school today. I've been crying about his impending move on and off for a few months now, broken up by passionate packing of his belongings, when he drives me crazy, to hasten his trip. I imagine the same thing is happening in houses across the country, the world.
This morning, as I was getting ready I felt like the Long Island medium. I wore my grandmother's bracelet on purpose. I wanted her close today. I got more than I bargained for. For most of the early morning, I could not stop crying, and I felt such a pressure in my body. I wrestled with what kept looping in my head for a good 45 minutes. "He already thinks you are wierd, this will build his case." I said to myself. " Stop! Just stop!" I admonished the pressure and the tears, but they kept up. I tried to relieve a bit of the pressure by hugging him before we got in the car. I told him, "your great -grandfather could not finish high school, as smart as he was, with his eye on being a doctor. His family needed money and in those days, that meant quitting school and going to work. This is why today is important."  It helped only for a little while.

As we got on the highway the tears and the pressure resurfaced. It seemed inevitable, that as crazy as my son was going to decide I was, I had to tell him. I had to say the words I was being compelled to express from a different place and time.
So finally between exits 8 and 7 on I-84, I said, " Nanna and Pop-pop are so proud of you and they would be so happy to be able to be here with you today." He looked at me sideways, I'm confident he was thinking "Why didn't I catch a ride with my friends?" I felt like I had to explain myself a little. I told him." What you  do, what all of us do, while we think it is for our life here and now, it is actually for the future, for our grandkids and great grandkids down the line." I felt an immediate relief and we were quiet the rest of the ride to the stadium.
 What he did, Vincent Amedeous Baldassari, sacraficing his education for the good of his family was a lesson,  and he worked hard and had an amazing, world-traveling life inspite of his early sacrafice. And as you can see from the picture, he was a loving Great- Grandfather. I can hear the noise he was making to make Alex laugh as I type. They are alike, my stoic son and my stoic grandfather.
May his wisdom and strength guide you and support you in your adventures Alex. They would have been so pleased and proud.