What a beautiful weekend we had at Duke’s spring graduation -- the sunshine, the inspiring presentations, and most of all, the smiles of Matthew and his classmates in their caps and gowns. Amy joined us for the flight to Durham, and we hit the ground running, arriving in time for Baccalaureate. The highlights were the procession of students into Duke Chapel and the sermon by Reverend Samuel Wells on being “mad” or different enough to act first and foremost out of love. Afterwards, it was a joyous sight outside the chapel, as students gathered with families and friends. We took time to enjoy the moment before heading for Chapel Hill for the Robertson Scholars reception, a gracious event that celebrated the 2012 class and gave families the chance to see the students and mentors in the program. To end the day, at least for some of us, we attended a party with Matthew’s friends and their families, a happy bunch to be sure. And then, Commencement morning could not have been more beautiful. The crowds filled the stadium, the students and faculty processed in to the music of the orchestra, Fareed Zakaria gave the Commencement Address, and the degrees were finally conferred. It was a hard act to follow for the various departments with their individual ceremonies. But we enjoyed the history department’s event, held under a white tent on the lawn of East Campus, with the following lunch. After all the activities of the two days, it’s no wonder we needed a rest before heading out for dinner -- to celebrate both graduation and Mother’s Day. It was a special night, and it was a special weekend I didn’t want to end after our brunch the next morning. How proud and happy we felt for Matthew!
