Isaiah graduated from Saugus High School on Tuesday night. The little boy who I described 11 years ago as “beyond out of control at times” was now proudly standing somewhere in a sea of graduates, family, and friends. And I couldn’t wait for the moment below.
I cried my first tears as I hugged him earlier in the aftermath of graduation ceremonies, but I knew they’d come flooding again. My wife fought hard for this one. Their journey as Mother as son has always been filled with intense love and intense battles. Even as I write these words days later, my heart is overflowing, and so are my eyes.
They are just too much alike. I know he doesn’t appreciate it when I say that, but it’s true. They are stubborn, sometimes irrationally obstinate, and they both feel everything intensely. They battle and love at the same volume. They laugh easily and aren’t afraid to share their opinions. And neither of them has a very good filter between their brain and their mouth. If you don’t love them, it’s only because you don’t really know them. They are open and approachable, genuinely engaging, but their hearts are guarded. If they let you in, you’re special and you feel it. It’s that simple. I feel doubly special.
I’m proud of the man captured in the moment below. I’m equally proud of the journey he and his Mother took to this moment. Congratulations, Isaiah. And congratulations, Rocky.
