"School's out for the summer.. . school's out forever!" - Alice Cooper

It's hard to believe that for more than 30 years Alice Cooper's song has been played over and over again at graduation. It's amazing how it's still played across the country every year at graduation time. "No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks." Rarely in life will everything be so neatly laid out for you again. You will get the same pattern if you join the military.

And here are a few words for the parents of the graduates. They will still have difficulty listening to you. They will make mistakes. Give them room to do both of those things and to find their way back to you when they need you.

And they will. It's also time for parents to begin to shift their focus a bit. Instead of concentrating on what you might want to make them do, begin to consider what you are going to do.

And gifts for graduation - a wonderfful occasion where the gift giver and the gift recipient both enjoy celebrating an exciting future. The Graduate's hard work should be festively rewarded with admiration and encouragement. Examples of gifts for this occasion include:

brief case, fine writing pen, card case, desk stereo, Palm Pilot fax machine, leather writing portfolio with initials, new business suit gift certificate to a fine shoe store, a trip to an exotic location, art and accessories for a new apartment, fine watch , fine jewelry,
family heirloom, luggage, pure gold or silver coin from graduation year.