The Graduation Speech

I wanted to come up with a fancy title; instead what I have is a rip-off from a movie that once won an Oscar.

After some coercion, from both my SIL and me; the husband agreed to make a small speech at his graduation lunch. There were just 5 of us. And so the speech began…

He made his way around the table, starting with his Dad. Then he progressed slowly to his Mum. I waited patiently. The only thing running through my mind was the episode from Everybody Loves Raymond where Ray received a felicitation and during his acceptance speech he thanked the whole world but forgot about Deborah.

If that happens to you G, promise you’re going to keep that smile plastered on your face. I mean, you know you married a guy who looked at your online wedding album not so long ago and asked “What pictures are those?”

So I thought about calling attention to myself. Spill some water maybe? By then the speech had reached my SIL. But like any good Italian restaurant (even the halfway decent ones) the table was cluttered with more silverware and glasses than there were people. And no I’m not complaining. I like a little FANCY in my life, God knows that I have enough of the mundane to deal with otherwise. So no spilling water.

Then I considered a good jab in the ribs.

It turned out that I didn’t need any of it. He hadn't forgotten me. WHEW. I felt the breath whooshing out from the bottom of my soles. He was saving the BEST for the LAST!

And so I was thanked. For holding up the fort for 2.5 years while he plugged away 16 hour weekdays between work and school. For learning how to squish bugs because there was no choice. It was either the moth chasing me out of the room or me killing it under my foot. For re-heating the food for the 5th time at quarter past midnight. For pulling weeds on Saturday mornings. For paying bills. For falling asleep on the couch while waiting, more times than I care to remember.

And Universe, in case I’ve painted a picture of self-sacrifice and patience, know that I’ve bitched and moaned all the way.

I can’t help but wonder though, what IF he had forgotten about me?