Congrats All Around

May 21, 2020 – With some commencements now being postponed until as late as August, it was heartening to hear our Cardie Community Manager Jayme Soulati making her graduation card list aloud from the selection below. “I’m ordering this card for my own beautiful kidlet, a dozen of that card for her friends, and another batch to congratulate their proud parents — because, wow, you know this whole graduation thing is really for the parents, right? — and then a stack of this one for The Helpers.” We’ll let Jayme explain …

“The Helpers — all the principals, teachers and advisors — deserve a big round of applause for, against all odds, creating what’s to be a most memorable send-off for this nation’s nearly eight million high school and college graduates.

“Let me back up and admit that, as my daughter’s high school graduation has drawn closer, I’ve found myself growing weepy about how the time-honored turning of the tassel will no longer be what it’s been for centuries. This significant, magnificent milestone will be so very different for her class than in the past … no massive auditorium bursting with people and applause. No big, huggy groups of graduates posing for one last pic together after having been at each other’s side since kindergarten. No backyards filled with friends and family sharing food and fond memories. As I was expressing my dismay about all my daughter would be missing, a dear, dry-witted friend lent the unhelpful perspective, ‘She’ll get over it.’ Pause, gasp … err, well, yes, I guess she will. But will I?

“Now, with the final, virtual salute in sight — and all those cherished traditions definitely out of the question — I’ve come around. And I’m counting on cards to help connect us and convey my hearty congrats. I also need them to express an admiring ‘Well done!’ to the school administrators, government officials and business owners who deserve extra credit for creating a magnificent, new form of commencement.

“First, hats off to venerable graduation specialists Herff Jones of cap, gown and tassel fame. That company jumped through hoops to deliver weeks early — can you imagine the long hours and overtime?! — so students could suit up at home last week for a formal pic and 10-second video … our school had cleverly contracted a video production company to take those 700 students’ home videos and weave them together into what promises to be one wonderful virtual commencement. Each apple-of-our-eye will get their 10-seconds of fame as their name is called and video played for friends and families streaming nationwide. (I can assure you, tears will be streaming, too!)

“Our school officials’ next feat was to coordinate with the city’s police and municipal departments to create an official route for the Class of 2020 Auto Parade. Parents plan to line the parade route just to see the kids drive by in their own cars waving and, God bless ’em, tooting their own horns. Lastly, and perhaps most meaningful to me, each graduate’s home room advisor will travel masked to his/her 35 students’ houses to present diplomas in person. Now that’s commitment.

“They’re making a truly impressive effort to ensure that this salute to the Class of 2020 will be unforgettable. Parents, teachers, cops, crossing guards — they’re all getting cards from me! We need more pats on the back these days, for the biggest and smallest of accomplishments. We can all use this little reminder that success, yes, sweet it is.”

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