8th grade graduation

We didn't have 8th-grade graduation ceremonies when I was growing up. They just said, "School's out, go home," and everybody left, and when we came back in September we were in 9th grade. Nobody made a big, sappy deal about it.

I went to six different schools between Kindergarten and 8th grade. Samuel went to one--including nursery school and pre-K.

I probably had 250 classmates in 8th grade. Samuel had 3. Four close friends, through thick and thin, in their comfy little schoolhouse on the Upper West Side.

And I never gave a graduation speech, but if I had, I seriously doubt I would've even mentioned my brother or sister, much less said something nice about them. Proof, if anyone needed it, that Samuel is still the sweetest boy in the universe.

Sigh...the slide show. Thank goodness the lights were low during that part. So many memories of my little boy.

I'm a lucky dad. I think that's redundant, but I'll say it anyway.