Shifting his stance at the podium, more as a signal that he was in the process of changing mental gears than anything else, Scott prepared to deliver his main address. With a measured pause, he once more surveyed those before him.

“For the first time in our lives our worlds, those of the graduates of this class and their parents, will come together. From this moment on we will live in the same reality, the same time and space. What comes tomorrow will be determined by what we, together, do today.” Pausing briefly, he let those words sink in. As he did so, Scott moved back from the podium, bowed his head as if catching his breath, then prepared to continue.

“Until now we have lived in very different worlds. As parents we have always been the caregivers, the providers, the chief judge and magistrate, the ruler of the roost, the defender of the domestic realm, the lord and master of all we surveyed. Ours has been a role of dominance tempered with love and teaching, honed by experience. You, the offspring, the prodigy, the next generation, have been little more than objects of affection that needed close attention, careful handling, continuous monitoring, and tutoring as to the ways of the world. Many times we have not played our respective roles very well. All too often we, the parents, were distracted by other concerns or desires and were neglectful of our God-given duties. Perhaps, on occasion, we proved to be too zealous when it came to ensuring that you adhered to rules we had set down and were not as caring and understanding as we should have been.

“On the other hand you, the child, often proved to be uncooperative. As living, breathing creatures yourselves, you often changed in ways that we didn’t quite comprehend. You headed off in directions we sometimes did not approve of. Frequently maturity, in body and mind, came long before we parents were able to finish the vital task of imparting to you the wisdom that you needed in order to deal with the ever expanding world you found yourself adrift in. Like two shadow boxers we have struggled and grappled with every issue and situation imaginable as you fought us for your independence and we endeavored to ensure that you had the skills, the discipline, and the knowledge to use that freedom wisely and justly.”

Again, Scott hesitated, as much to collect his own thoughts as to give the audience a chance to consider his remarks so far. “That we have come to this place, today,” he continued, “is evidence that we have somehow survived that trying process in fairly decent shape. And while I do not mean to infer that we parents are going to disown you graduates the moment that the superintendent hands you your diplomas, I am here to say that our relationships will never again be the same. You see, from this point forward, we shall march into the future side by side. While we may not be equals, we will be coworkers, tasked with the awesome responsibility of shaping and responding to the events that this world is waiting to throw at us. For the first time in your life, you, the graduates, will have your hand on the throttle of the engine that will pull us all forward into the future. It is for that reason that this ceremony can be called, with equal accuracy, a graduation and a commencement. You are, after all, graduating from the status of a dependent to that of a full citizen who has mastered basic skills and knowledge and is ready to take on the responsibility of your own life. At the same time, you are commencing a new life, one which is nothing like that which you are leaving behind. But regardless of how you view this joyous occasion, it is a time of coming together. Our two generations, for so long separated by views, by tastes, by physical age and ability are, from now on, committed to face the world and whatever it throws our way together.”