There were 12 students in my nephew’s graduating class.  Yes, 12.  I begged my niece, who graduates next year from a school with a graduating class of about 1000 to change schools before I had to attend hers.  hehe

And during the part of the ceremony where the graduate presents his mother with a flower, he shyly did that …

and then he gave one to his maternal grandma…and walked to the end of the row and gave his Aunt Tammy a flower.  And his Aunt Tammy cried… 

because it dawned on me … he’s the only male child from my dad’s lineage, to carry on the family name … his dad is in prison … his dad and his uncle (my youngest brother) never graduated from high school … my older brother, who loved Cody to pieces, died in 1997 and was unable to attend this momentous event, the relatives who raised my two younger brothers didn’t bother to even show up to the ceremony or send well-wishes … he’s joined the navy, and looks SO MUCH like my dad did, when he was in the Navy.  It really hit me that I was so damned proud that Cody lived through that horrendous car accident in 2006, and was able to walk across the stage….and that I was able to travel up to Missouri with my oldest daughter, to share in such a blessed event.

Way to go Cody – you’ll always have a piece of your old Aunt Tammy’s heart!