June’s arrival Saturday means the 2013 graduation season is officially over.

Twenty-four years have passed since yours truly walked across the stage to ceremonially accept a high school diploma.

Gosh, it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long.

Like many things in life, I suppose, while we’re experiencing them time seems to move slowly, and only later do we realize how much we may have missed simply by not paying attention or appreciating each moment.

I know I couldn’t wait to graduate from high school, and it seemed like the actual day would never come.

Ironically, the details of the actual graduation date have long faded, if they were ever saved in the first place.

I have no clue who served as our valedictorian or salutatorian, let alone remember any inspiring words of wisdom they may have shared during their graduation day speeches.

I cannot help but think about how fast time seems to fly, really, though.

My parents, I am sure, were sitting in the bleachers on graduation night thinking, “Where did the time go?”

The fact that my mother still occasionally looks at me as if I’m 4 years old also serves as a hint of that. Most of the time, though, her looks are because I’ve said something stupid.

Right after Julie gave birth to Anna, lots of people asked about her, and many gave simple wisdom that seems to make more sense each passing day.

“Enjoy every moment,” one man warned, an older fellow who had seen his children grow up and even had the misfortune to have lost one of his adult daughters recently.

“They will grow up before your eyes — literally,” he said.

“You’ll wake up one morning and wonder, ‘Where did the time go?’”

His advice was spot on.

Anna is approximately three and a half months old now, and I wonder where the time went.

It seems like yesterday we were squinting at a screen in Dr. Guedon’s office at this tiny squirming little creature.

It sort of felt like we lived in that office for about a year, alternating between seeing Guedon and his excellent nurse practitioner, Kappi Rushing.

Months later, Anna arrived, and for a couple of weeks our world was a blur of no sleep, feeding all hours and walking the house with a crying baby.

Now, as I look back at pictures of her from just three months ago, I’m jolted by just how much she’s changed in that short time.

Julie and I joked about how much time we’d clearly wasted in our lives before Anna’s arrival. Now, she pretty much consumes every waking thought, bit of focus and conversation.

What on earth did we talk about before her?

This year’s graduating class is headed out into the big world, and with their departure, hundreds of moms and dads are left thinking, “Where did the time go?”

That sort of emphasizes the importance of savoring every moment of life.

I’ve heard the phrase, “Life’s too short to …”

You can add pretty much any bad thing you can imagine there.

The bottom line is life is too short not to enjoy every moment.

Congratulations to all local graduates, please don’t forget your hometown, but most importantly, don’t forget how much your parents love you and how fast you grew up — to them at least.

 

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.