The anticipation and excitement leading up to the Completers’ Ring Ceremony on December 5, 2019 was palpable. The only event that might come close to possibly top this would maybe be waiting for Christmas morning…but no, after witnessing the joy and elation on that tearful, cheerful morning, nothing truly compares.
Planning for the ceremony began on October 28th for the families of the Completers when a note was sent home inviting us to attend this “very important and memorable event.”
Zack was all smiles when we received this and if I hadn’t filled it out that minute, I think he would have burst!
Of course, being such an “important and memorable event,” Zack wanted to invite EVERYONE. Unfortunately, as the ceremony was early in the day, several of those we invited were unable to make it, as was the case with many families. In the end though his entourage consisted of three of us plus a gym full of other parents, siblings, grandparents, caregivers, staff, teachers, and friends.
For me it was somewhat like a family reunion. There are six other Completers that Zack has known since he was in the MIPP’s program at the MISD back over 25 years ago. Although we took different paths once leaving that program, we all ended up right where we belonged in the long run–Lutz! It’s funny how Zack has been going to Lutz for the better of eight years and there were some parents that I hadn’t seen in more than 20. I guess our students followed different paths along their Lutz journey as well and the occasion was never there. It just goes to show how everything eventually comes full circle.
The ceremony was full of emotion, smiles, cheers, and most definitely tears. Some of the students were so overcome with emotion that their sobs couldn’t be contained, breaking even the strongest of hearts. This was a bitter-sweet day for all of us. The excitement of receiving the long awaited class ring still could not overshadow the reality of what loomed less than nine short months away – their completion.
John and Nick opened the ceremony with beautiful, heart-felt speeches and then the presentations began. As each student’s name was called, he or she proceeded to the podium and received their ring, congratulations, and photos were taken. Only one student was too shy or overcome with emotion to make that walk to the podium, so the ring ceremony was moved over to them. Just another prime example of how the Lutz staff is always willing to go that extra mile and do whatever it takes to make our students’ time at Lutz the absolute best it can be.
Every student was thrilled to receive their ring, but I did want to share a couple recipients that stood out to me. The first one is actually the first student that walked up to the podium — Brianna Berger. From the moment she left her seat until the moment she walked back to it, she displayed a whirlwind of emotion. First she cheered, then she cried, then she exploded with excitement, then she cried again. A little like what all of us were feeling as we watched our students sitting there awaiting their turn, but do our best to keep in check for no other reason than pure vanity. It was refreshing to see Brianna share everything she was feeling with us–every moment, every raw, unfiltered detail. What a gift she shared with us that morning.
After Brianna set the mood in the gym, many more students made their way to the podium and received their rings. I waited on the edge of my seat until it was finally Zack’s turn. He had picked out his outfit, right down to which pair of glasses he was going to wear, the day we received the invite. It had been hanging on the back of his door, cleaned and pressed, waiting for this moment for over a month. As I watched him make his way to the podium I couldn’t help but notice there was something different about his stride. His exuberance, full of excitement attitude he’d been showering us with in anticipation of this moment for weeks, was now somewhat subdued–almost with hints of hesitation. He accepted his ring from John with grace and listened intently to John’s congratulations and instructions. Tears filled my eyes as I witnessed him struggling to hold back the surge of emotions that were pounding in his chest. He smiled through pierced lips, afraid if he spoke he’d crumble. A normally chatty person, Zack was speechless. He held it together, far better than I did, and managed to smile beautifully for his photos.
More students received their rings, each with grace and excitement, but then Nick called Christopher Murphy to the podium. From the minute his name was called, you could feel the JOY that epitomized the day.
His smile, his elation, his confident stride — they all preceded him as he made his way over to Nick. Handshakes were not enough to convey his emotions. No, nothing less than strong, enveloping bear hugs would do. First Nick and then John. The entire gym erupted into smiles on top of laughter on top of cheers. He couldn’t — no, he didn’t even try or want to contain his pride, excitement, and thorough happiness in what his ring and this day symbolized. A true testament to the power of inhibition and a lesson more of us should learn to appreciate.
Although every student made an impression on everyone in the gym as they made that walk to the podium for their ring, the last one I want to share the details of was when Taylor Poeschel was called. Between her shyness and uncontainable surge of emotions, she brought us all to tears,
but then, to top it all off she didn’t return to her seat. No, Taylor walked right over to her mom, sitting in the front row, and gave her the biggest, most heart-felt hug I’d ever witnessed.
I could feel the emotion behind her hug as everyone in the gym could. She hugged all of us that morning through her tears and her mom’s.
The rest of the students proceeded to walk to the podium, receive their rings, and leave their mark on our hearts.
CONGRATULATIONS LUTZ CLASS OF 2020
A beautiful morning topped off with refreshments in the cafeteria where the Completers and their guests, staff and teachers reminisced and glowed. And then…
It was over.
Immediately I was filled with sadness, almost an emptiness. The much anticipated, long awaited event was over. This symbolic ring and accompanying ceremony was far more than just a tradition, it was a rite of passage. Defined that means – “a ritual one goes through to move on to the next stage of life.”
Our journey at Lutz is quickly coming to an end, making way for more greatness in the future. Yet, leaving Lutz, the teachers, the friends, the school, our home…it is harder than I ever imagined. I am ever so thankful though for the staff and teachers at Lutz and how they work from Day 1 of our student’s journey all the way to the last day to help all of us prepare for this passage. No we aren’t ready to leave; we never will or could be. We are prepared for what comes next though and even if we aren’t ready, our students definitely have the foundation they need to move onward and upward, and that ring on their finger is a constant reminder of what they’ve accomplished and that everything is possible.
Zack doesn’t wear his ring all the time because he doesn’t want to lose it or get it dirty at work. It sits proudly displayed on his dresser in its box. He wears it every chance he gets and with pride though. For Christmas our daughter arranged for us to have a family photo shoot and Zack wore his ring and even shared it with the photographer, who made it a point to be sure to capture his pride.
If you would like to see additional photos from the Completer Class of 2020 Ring Ceremony, click the following link:
Completer Class of 2020 Ring Ceremony Photo Gallery
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