Older Bro's College Graduation!

Okay, peeps.

Our MAYhem vibe is in full effect!

Performances, commitments, parties, concerts, celebrations, travel...all the May-cember things!

I had a brief chance to share a post about Chicklet's Confirmation about a week ago, and then we transitioned straight into another week of tasks and to-do lists--plus a lot of kiddo school events.

The week went by incredibly fast, and then Friday morning, the hubby and I flew out of Austin to Wisconsin to celebrate an event that was basically 29 years in the making (I'm not really exaggerating)...

Older Bro's College Graduation! 

And, yes, I'm posting this tassel-covering-the-face pic to kick things off, because: 

1. It's glorious.

2. It's playful and joyful--two hallmarks of the weekend celebration, and...

3. It photographically highlights imperfections and unpredictability, and I think that perfectly encapsulates Older Bro's collegiate journey. :)

Okay. Now. I don't think he'd mind me sharing the bare bones of his story (and he doesn't really read this here blog anyway, so...all's fair, ha), but the gist of it is this: 

When older bro graduated high school in 1998 (yup, I'm putting his age on blast, here; mine too, since I'm less than two years younger than him), he launched what was expected to be a typical, linear collegiate journey at Baylor. Back then, he was a music major, and much like there rest of us, he was finding his way and exploring his options.

Welp. Much like the rest of us, his interests and plans changed and he found himself transferring to OSU (closer, less expensive) as he was sorting through life and his meandering path forward.

Shortly thereafter, he made a cross-country move to Tennessee and launched a steady, adult life that involved many years in the veterinary industry--as a technician, among other things. Plus, occasionally, some community college courses to keep the ball rolling in some small way.

If I remember correctly, he spent about a decade in Tennessee, during which time, he eventually halted official educational plans in favor of working and adulting and basically just moving on with all the Grown Up Things.

Though, I know (because he's my brother and we've discussed this, ad nauseum) that in the back of his mind, college lingered as unfinished business...to be addressed at a later date.

Eventually, a bunch of life and experience led him to the business side of the veterinary world--where he still is, today!

For the first time, he found himself in a corporate environment, thriving and jiving with all it had to offer, steadily taking on greater roles and responsibilities along the way, building his work and life experience in a major way. Happily, so.

Then, as was the case for many of us, the pandemic hit and he started to noodle on things again.

He felt the urge to revisit his educational past and explore opportunities for officially completing his degree--in a way that made sense for his adult self. He was already stable and gainfully employed and not just looking to check a box for a resume or have a diploma to frame, but to actually build upon his existing knowledge base with coursework that might actually serve him in Real Life (shocking, I know, since many of us with linear college experiences do that in reverse!).

Thus began the beginning of his official journey to complete his degree.

He enrolled in one or two classes a semester--even continuing his studies when he spent a couple of years in Switzerland for work. All virtual classes with online interaction or the ability to complete work on a personal timetable.

And he just kept plugging away. :) One credit, one class at a time.

I clearly recall some of our early conversations when he went "back to school." The process felt so daunting (I'm speaking on his behalf, here), and almost ridiculous in its slow drip approach. He knew back then that it would take him five or six years to complete the remaining credits he needed, and that felt like an interminable length of time. 

And, yet, he chipped away at it.

In fact, he kept his head so firmly down that it was complete shock and awe when his advisor called about five months ago to discuss graduation and the completion of his degree. He was taken aback because he'd lost track of where he was at in the process--and underestimated the Real Life Credits he'd accumulated through his business experience. Credits that would work toward the completion of his degree and put it within reach.

Like, within a semester's reach!

He learned in January that he would graduate in May, and it was surreal for me to hear the news! So I can't even imagine how it felt for him, but I know it involved lots of feels.

Because I'm me and I can't help but celebrate anything and everything--big or small--I knew immediately that I wanted to crash his graduation celebration and force everyone else to, as well. Though, little force was needed, because we were all too willing to mark this hard-won milestone in typical family-style obnoxious.

(Emphasis on the obnoxious.)

Though it was a tricky weekend (MAY-hem, Mother's Day, and Little Bro's daughter's bday), we all figured out a way to get to Wisconsin and witness Older Bro's first visit to the college campus where he'd finally--finally!--snag his degree.

When I say that this was a joyful ceremony, I mean JOYFUL.

Everyone within his particular ceremony was a graduate of virtual and/or evening classes, and you can imagine the demographic spread within that group. It was impossible not to look at each graduate and conjure the glorious and winding path that brought them to their degree, and every component of the ceremony tailored to this non-linear education approach.

At times, Older Bro was SO over being the center of attention and more than a little self-conscious, but I'm so freaking glad his hubby--along with the rest of us--convinced him to walk across that stage with a cap and gown and flip that tassel from one side to the other, because...the tassel was, INDEED, worth the hassle!

Okay. Picture explosion, now! Including our Friday arrival dinner at Whistling Straights (complete with Aunt and Uncle appearance!) and allllllllll the glorious Saturday pics. I've gotta say, that crisp air, Wisconsin blue sky, and bold yellow and gold school colors made for glorious pics.

Final note: I'm going to ask forgiveness and not permission and post whatever I want without my family's consent. They all have to love me. ;)

Big dreams ARE possible. 

Sometimes it's hard to see the forest through the trees--something I remind myself daily--but those dreams are still there. And with hard work, they get closer and closer until you're holding them in the palm of your hand and you can proudly say: I DID IT.

I'm so proud of Older Bro and his monumental accomplishment. Sometimes, the best things in life don't come as expected--and it makes them well worth the winding journey.

Happy Second Full Week of May 2026, peeps!

We're full steam ahead!

More as I'm able!

Over and out.