GoMom

What could be more stressful than your step-daughter's gradution where two sets of parents are highly emotional and just keeping it together? How about if the estranged father of one of the step-parents shows up unexpectedly? How about it that father is mine?

Shocked, shocked, shocked that, as we are congratulating the grad on the mezzanine after the ceremony, up strolls my Dad with camera in hand. Huh??? I haven't seen him in at least two years and he has virtually no relationship with my kids, not even my biological one. As with the three hundred other distant relatives, we sent him a general announcement of Megan's graduation, which he apparently took as an invitation.

So there we are, stress and emotion simply bubbling over, as my daughter escapes with her friends and my mother politely excuses herself from the presence of her ex. That leaves my father with us and the other biological/step set. And he's taking random pictues of all of us.  

Without going into an extensive therapy session of the mistakes my Dad has made in the past, and how much my parenting style is based on crushing his theory that absence makes the heart grow fonder, the whole moment gave me a bright, shining moment of clarity.

Megan had four people standing there, just basking in her accomplishment, virtually beaming at her with pride and love. Four of us, ready to support her through anything, and cheer her as she takes on the world. That's all that mattered, everything else can fade into grey.