<p>I am popping in to add that I have about 0 girlish estrogen levels, and the bagpipe procession corranged referred to reduced me to sniffling jelly. The parental reception that immediately followed was hilarious – I have not seen so many teary, depressed people at any funeral I’ve ever attended. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the setting was idyllic, and no one could hardly crack a smile. I’m looking forward to it again.</p>
<p>Zoosergirl goes to a Catholic school and switched to the summer uniform today, leaving the winter plaid tossed aside, never to be worn again. Seeing it there, so forlornly, set off my waterworks. I do not know what I’m going to do at graduation except pray that it’s hot and uncomfortable, although the first week of June is usually gorgeous here. My hope through this whole process is that I can get through the college dropoff in a somewhat calm fashion before I breakdown in the car. We have decided not to bring the siblings to that so I can cry my heart out all the way home from the college.</p>
<p>I had mental images of H driving back from the college dropoff with me and D2 hugging and blubbering all the way home. Oh…but wait–we had an incident of sisterly sniping last night. D2 was in tears saying, “Remind me again that I’m going to miss her when she leaves??” </p>
<p>There are more and more subtle reminders of what’s ahead. This week, I received the renewal form for our season tickets to the touring Broadway shows that come to our town…realized that I only have to get 3 tickets for next year instead of 4! :(</p>
<p>Only anecdotal evidence here - but a friend told me her trick which was to look upward. Something about eye pressure on the tear ducts…</p>
<p>Don’t know if works or not - but maybe worth a try.</p>
<p>NotReady- so that explains why looking up helps- It does- try it.</p>
<p>JHS- howdy, I appreciate you sharing your “non-estrogen- related” display of emotion, and, especially that you are looking forward to it again 
In my book you are a cool guy …</p>
<p>After our D’s graduation two years ago- H had the croc tears- to the amazement and shock of his parent visiting from Colorado. It was such an honest, sincere moment </p>
<p>So ISPF heads up about the ‘end’ of the ceremony</p>
<p>Oh my, I thought I would die watching “My Dog Skip” and sitting in the front row at “Miss Saigon” …sorry I can’t relive THAT one. I’m not particularly emotional. In fact, I’ve chided other posters about it but my tears just seem to flow and flow. We sent S off to China for a year last August. All summer he teased me about crying at the airport. I don’t know know how I managed but my eyes were just a little watery. Maybe I didn’t want him to realize what a huge step this was. I sure the floodgates will open again when we get him at the airport in a few weeks. HS graduation is a week later…maybe I’ll stop crying by then.</p>
<p>I made it through Senior awards night last night. I felt that whole “welling up” thing coming on me the minute I saw his name in the program, and that was just for the award they weren’t going to mention – bright futures, too many kids qualified. So, I started chewing on the inside of my lip, LOL. By the time he was called up on stage for another award, I was so hot and sweaty … I’d moved on to, “oh Lord, how much longer.” My problem’s going to our church service: the weekend before graduation we recognize all our grads. They make up a special program with all their pictures, where they’re going to school, etc. They do the whole Pomp and Circumstance, which always gets to me anyway, and they proceed in with their caps and gowns. There’s usually special music and the message is geared towards them that morning. As I sing in the choir, I’ll be up on stage with a birds eye view. I’m gonna lose it. 
And it’s not even just DS … it’s all the kids, all his friends that I’ve taught in Vacation Bible School since they were like … in 1st grade. We’ve lived in the same community for 14 years, and even last night I was …“Whoa! that’s the little girl I used to put gold stars on her math worksheets in elementary school.” </p>
<p>zebes, wanting to experience the emotions … but just not wanting to be a big slopppy puddle on the floor, ya know? Darn peri-menopause. <g></g></p>
<p>OH, Thank goodness that I found this thread (of course, I have been tearing up since like the first few posts)!<br>
My son is an only child, graduates this month, and is going to college on the East coast (we are midwest), so no “spur of the moment car trip” to take him out to dinner. I figure that I will be crying a lot, over the next few months, but the time I am actually dreading is the car ride back home, after we leave him at school. I am seriously concerned about that…it will be so sad.</p>
<p>Another weller up and sobber here. Just mention ceremony and the tear ducts activate.
My ceremony strategy, ( I go with the flow so to speak)-go to a party supply store and buy a bunch of small themed tissue packets. They have cows. pigs, toons, etc. Pass the packets around to the sobbing adults sitting near you. They are appreciated.</p>
<p>hey sonicmom!</p>
<p>I’ll trade ya! My east coast kid will be going to the great MidWest for school…You anywhere near Oklahoma?
:)</p>
<p>LOL, Mikksmom! That would be kinda fun…I am sure our kids would REALLY appreciate having an “extra Mom” close by! Alas, I am in Illinois.</p>
<p>Another waterworks producer here–astrophysicsmom, your mention of the grandparents brought to mind a suggestion, if they are willing–how about having them wear Depends that day? More comfortable for them and WAY less stress for you! Good luck.</p>
<p>Astrophysicsmom,
We have the same issue with a “disabled” grandparent. My mom lives with us, and she has alzheimer’s (stage 6). Every intent was to have her go with us to the ceremony, but with the realization that it will be at the gymnasium of a local university (with stadium seating) and after sitting through senior awards night which took two hours to recognize 1/10th of the graduating class … we’ve decided we need another option. As we’re having an Open House for our S and his best friend a few days before, and with the church service recognition, we’re going to get a “sitter” for mom. I feel badly, and I know she’s intially going to feel badly, but I have missed so much of my S’s high school career being the primary caregiver of 4 aging parents (Mom’s the 4th), I need to do this for me. I, too, don’t want to be trying to find a bathroom right in the middle of everything, and it is a real concern. So, we’ll add me thinking about his grandparents not being there (Dad died Christmas Eve in our home) to the mix … and you might as well forget travel size kleenexes. I’ll be bringing in the big guns – a boxed 3-pack. :)</p>
<p>Zebes, who watched DS enfold his sister with him into his graduation gown last night because it’s so huge. "oooh … don’t do that; you’re too sweaty … stay away from me! MomMMM!!! " Music to my ears. :)</p>
<p>I cry at everything too. Reminding myself to breathe and sipping water helps a little. I’ll try the looking up thing. The only thing that works reliably for me is to think about baseball (I learned this from Woody Allen) or something else I’m not emotional about–but then I’m not experiencing the moment. Guess I’ll just remember to bring lots of tissues and maybe a mini-fan. We have a kind that also mists water on your face, so maybe that will provide camoflage!</p>
<p>Bagpipes do it to me too. Maybe good my son chose Grinnell instead of Macalester. Actually, I think he is used to seeing me cry at every occasion and might wonder what was up if I didn’t.</p>
<p>Oh, wow, i don’t have any graduations or anything coming up, and I’m getting misty-eyed just reading this.</p>
<p>I am tempted to send this to my H; it’s taken most of our marriage for him to realize that I really would much rather not cry so easily–it’s certainly never deliberate! There’s been times I wondered if there were some kind of operation to fix it! I actually have avoided conflict-likely situations because of fear I will tear up and embarrass myself.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t think it means I feel more, or am in closer touch with my emotions–they just manifest in a very visible, physical way.</p>
<p>But knowing how many others share this condition makes me feel better.</p>
<p>I’ve been lurking around the CC site for a couple of months now and this is the first time I’ve been prompted to join the conversation.</p>
<p>And it’s because I wanted to tell you this, Ispf72: it is the most likely thing that your children look over at you at those moments when the waterworks are going full blast, and smile because, well, that’s Mom. As Bethievt said, they would wonder what was wrong if you weren’t crying! I know that I have come to embrace the role I play in my children’s lives as “the one who cries”, but I am also “the one who laughs” so I figure it all balances out.</p>
<p>Cry on, I say!</p>
<p>I’m the same way especially when it comes to our son (only child we ever had, which makes it worse).I kept “busy” taking pictures during his HS ceramony. I took pictures of everything. I moved around a lot so it gave me a chance to wipe away a few tears behind my camera!</p>
<p>During his convocation ceramony and throughout move-in weekend which was in 2005,and was a 3 day event, I wore very dark sunglasses to the day and night events. I couldn’t get it together, it was the hardest weekend of my life. </p>
<p>(I’ve been through some pretty tough events and milestones, but that was the hardest for me).</p>
<p>I tried to prepare by reading every book out there about letting go, etc. It was just a very emotional time for me. My son knew I was overwhelmed, and he was OK with that, just that once LOL My husband was very strong and supportive, and it was nice to have a shoulder to cry on back at our hotel.</p>
<p>Dark sunglasses is what I suggest, and don’t forget the camera!</p>
<p>Thanks again, all–</p>
<p>I agree that our kids eventually understand the need of tears sometimes – even from their own parents. I’m not crazy about my husband’s seeming need to criticize or joke about it. When/if it happens again, we’re going to have a talk (now that I’m emboldened by all the support here)! If our childrens’ graduations and goodbyes aren’t the right time to show our feelings, then what is? </p>
<p>And welcome to CC, smile dog!</p>
<p>Why, thank you!</p>
<p>Okay, something to keep me smiling during my daughters college graduation- hundreds of mothers donning sunglasses on a cloudy day to disguise tears, whipping out mister fans and trying to take pictures all at the same time. Might be a tad more noticeable then just crying but sounds much more interesting!</p>