Congratulations Jack!
Our son Jack graduated from Marquette University High School over the holiday weekend. The milestone event is inviting me to pause, actually I would say it is forcing me to pause. The reflections and emotions are a bit overwhelming in fact. This blog gives me the space to process them by writing.
Jack choose to attend MUHS and we are grateful he made this choice. Choosing MUHS was not easy for him. It would have been easier to go to Arrowhead High School with his friends from Lake Country and not be burdened with a thirty minute drive to school. But he choose MUHS simply because he thought it would be good for him and he was right. Jack’s graduation fills me with gratitude most significantly for the friendships he made, the teachers that took the time to really know him and the broader perspective he gained from attending MUHS.
The speaker, Father Doyle, did an excellent job sharing his reflections on the choices these young graduates have in front of them and to always remember the road home to their family and to God. I especially appreciated Father Doyle’s heartfelt address in which he not only shared about his social anxiety but there were multiple times when he had to pause, overwhelmed for a moment with emotion. His honest display of emotion I found valuable for this group of young graduating men to witness. He showed the power of sharing real emotion.
I want nothing more for my children, who two of which are now adults, then to be able to feel and share their emotions, the ups and downs. I believe our ability to recognize, be with and share our emotions is key to happiness and health.
And now Jack once again is choosing a different path. He is choosing to continue on his ski racing journey for another year and see what he can do. Jack started ski racing when he was six years old and it has always been his favorite thing to do. The idea of being done racing did not sit well with him. He is excited to spend next year training with the Aspen Valley Race Team and finally have the mountains be his training venue. His goal is to earn a spot on a collegiate team the following year. He is grateful for the opportunity and I am proud of him for taking the risk and going for it. Ski racing, as with all sports, provide great opportunities to be in touch with all our emotions from disappointment to joy. I am excited for the graduating class of 2023 and all they have ahead. I hope they feel all their emotions and create happy and healthy lives for themselves. Congratulations to Jack and the class of 2023.
