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Marilyn Wolfe (Ruben)
Hello, everybody! I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. We were a lucky generation, born during a horrible War which liberated Europe from tyranny. We hold dear the memories of those we lost during many Wars fought later on to preserve the freedoms of people in this country and others, as well!
We just attended the 2 High School Graduations of a family member and a friend. The first included a tiny group of 100 students in our local Catholic High School, and there were speeches from 5 different people, including Principal, the Valedictorian, a Salutorian, and a Guest Speaker who organized the original Fund-raising Campaign to create the school, years ago. We all cheered for my Son-in-Law's Cousin's youngest child, who was President of her Senior Class. Guests in 3 rows behind us made up ONE FAMILY, who outdid all the other families there in numbers and in loud hoots and hollers! It was a wonderful occaion!
Afterwards, we went to the Graduation of the Senior Class at my Granddaughter's High School. There are over l,000 students in each grade of her school, with about 6,000 in the total enrollment. There were so many people present, the choir, band, students, parents, and speakers on the podium took up the length of the football field, and the bleachers on eiither side of the field were filled with visitors as well. A minumum of 100-200 more people were standing l0 rows deep behind the fence around the field! I never saw so many people at a graduation here before! The speakers included the Valedictorian, Salutorian, Principal, Senior Class President. The 10 top students were honored with Merit Scholarships and 1 of them is a National Merit Scholar. We were so proud!
Tonight I am thinking about those graduates, one of whom I have known since she was about 6-7 years old. She was a funny little tomboy, trying to keep up with her 3 brothers in sports as well as in brains. Now, she is a beautiful young woman, much taller than I am, wearing makeup, and glowing with pride in her cap and gown! She is a Merit Scholar, bound for a private college in California. The other graduate is a newcomer to Yuma from Denver. She arrived several years ago, knowing absolutely no one, and made her way to the top of the class as Salutorian. She will attend U.C. L.A. in California, and she wants to become an M. D. !
I keep thinking back to the day we Graduated from Tee Jay in June, l962, with no awareness of all that lay before us! So much has happened since then, and so many miles separate us. I turn to look at my l7 1/2 year old Granddaughter, who smiles broadly and says, "Next year, that is going to be ME!!!" Time marches on, much too fast for me, and soon she will join the group of leaders of the next generation! She is our only Grandchild, and we all wonder what is going to be in her future!
Have a Wonderful Summer and I can't wait to see everyone at the Reunion in September!
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