Graduation Celebration

If you've been a long time follower of my e-letter, I’m sure you remember our Quilting in the Country web mistress, Juli. Juli’s daughter Miriam graduated with honors at the BHS graduation ceremony on Sunday. Saturday evening Bill and I had the honor of hosting Miriam’s relatives and special friends at a pre-graduation celebration. We all know that graduation celebrations are landmarks in our lives and occasions when we honor our most cherished relationships. Finding the appropriate thing to say or give at such an event can be a challenge. I had known for over a year what, in my mind, would be the perfect Miriam gift. Miriam has been an amazing birding expert since a very young age when she and her sister, Allison, would accompany their mother to work at QIC.

What, you are probably wondering, would the perfect gift be? I called my friend, Lorca Smetana, who trains homing pigeons which she releases for many ceremonies. Although it was difficult, I wanted to keep the dove release as a surprise for Miriam and her family.  As we all gathered in our front yard last Saturday evening I knew that I’d been successful in keeping the gift a secret.

Lorca gave a short history of carrier pigeons. She gently handed the white dove to Miriam. As Miriam released the dove, Lorca allowed the other doves to flutter and fly.  Watching the doves circle and then disappear into the clouds was an overwhelming symbol of letting go and new beginnings.

Lorca created a lovely card using one white dove feather and one wild mallard feather. The mallard feather symbolized the time, years ago, when Miriam had tried, unsuccessfully, to teach our non-flying Mallards to fly! Of course, the white dove feather symbolized Miriam’s flight- a new passage. 
 
Lorca asked me to contribute words to the card she created.  This is what I suggested:  Listen, look, taste, touch, breathe and fly. And that’s only a beginning for Miriam.

When Allison and Miriam were young girls Juli often brought them along for a day at Quilting in the Country. As Juli worked, sometimes she put the girls “to work”. A successful day at QIC meant the girls could select a fat quarter of their choice. Juli surprised Miriam with a quilt from the fat quarters she had chosen long ago.