“And the time came when the risk it took to stay closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to bloom.”

—Anais Nin

Graduation is a time for celebration and congratulations. It is also, perhaps, the most bittersweet moment in the lives of American teens.

The race to high school graduation is all but over for the Class of 2009. There will be graduation ceremonies. The seniors in spring athletics will finish their seasons. Then, high school, and everything that has led up to it, will be history.

High school graduation is an end and a beginning. It is an end to primary education. It is an end to being a kid. It is an end to whatever can be considered childhood. It is also an end to what can best be called the formal process of growing up.

Kids will still be kids, and parents will still be parents, but once a child graduates from high school, society in almost every case recognizes that child has become an adult.

That doesn’t mean they will stop raiding the refrigerator or leaving their dirty clothes on the floor. It does mean that if they choose to have complete freedom, it’s right outside the front door.

There’s no question that growing up is hard. From those first steps some 18 years ago to walking across the stage to get a diploma, there have been a lot of milestones. And while some students make it look easy, not everything is easy.

The blitz up to graduation is so fast and filled with tests, deadlines and things that must be completed, that there’s little time to smell the roses. That’s why every diploma earned is recognition of effort and achievement.

When you’re graduating it’s difficult to understand that no matter what, you will likely never be together with all of your classmates in one place again.

Furthermore, there are some people who you have come to care about in your class that you will never see again. There’s always a thought that you will, but you won’t.

Unless you have a strong core of friends, there will come a time not too long from now when all a graduate has left from school is what they’ve learned, a diploma and memories.

Yet, it is from this point where graduation is a beginning.

It is the start of gaining further responsibility, additional education, work experiences and life experiences. It is the start of an evolution in relationships with other people. Adulthood and maturity allow one to have a deeper appreciation for where they’ve been and, more importantly, where they’re going.

I’ve been to many graduation ceremonies over the years. I came to appreciate and also fear the graduation ceremony in Fennimore, as they gave out scholarships during the event. Without air conditioning on a June night, there were some awfully long ceremonies. But, still, it’s the one event where every member of the class is recognized. They’re forever bonded together as members of a high school class, and hopefully they’ll look back on their years of school, especially high school, and have great memories of good times and friends.

And for those who may not have liked school, the place they lived or their situation in general, graduation recognizes the fact that they are free -- well, as free as any adult can be.

It’s been my experience that you never really appreciate an event such as graduation until well after it occurs. That’s why it’s important to celebrate the moment. You will remember it and look back upon it for a long time.

It seemed like just yesterday I was at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse getting to see my nephew Cody on the day he was born. On Saturday, I will be at Wauzeka High School to watch him receive his high school diploma.

To the members of the Class of 2009 I say congratulations and best wishes. Do be safe as you celebrate and try your best to make decisions that will help you lead the kind of life you want.

E-mail Matt Johnson at matt.johnson @lee.net.