The Things that Never Change

There are some things that never change in spite of the tireless ticking of the second hand.

It was graduation day. The procession of anxious yet excited graduates was making its way into the stadium. I can swear that that same flood of emotions was no stranger to me. Ah yes! It was that very moment when I was making my way to the stage for my first graduation concert in kindergarten. That same anxiety and excitement! Of course, I remember!

But all the more overwhelming was the emotions and excitement that swept over the crowd on the floor. Seats were vacant, not because the turn-up was bad, but because there was nothing that could bind the parents to their chairs. Lights were flashing, not because it was going to rain, but because everyone was trying to make that moment last forever by eternally engraving it into that little light-emitting box. Hands were waving, not because an American Idol was in town, but because someone's Idol was coming down the aisle.

At that very moment, it was as if time stood still, and there was no one else in the entire world, but the cameraman and his wife, trying to capture the glorious moment when their Princess walked down the aisle with the proud smile underneath the identical black cap and gown. Yet to the cameraman, that girl in cap and gown was unique. She was one of a kind!

Some things never change in spite of the tireless ticking of the second hand. It's the love of a parent.