Regret.

Tonight the 100th graduating class from Jenks High School is honored with their graduation ceremony. Tonight is when Eric should have graduated. These are the students he went through school with since kindergarten. Eric only went to Jenks Schools unlike his siblings who hopscotched across the USA. He is a "Jenks lifer". You have no idea of the magnitude unless you are a Jenksonian (Jenkster, Jenksite, I really have no idea) but it is a substantial honor given to kids whose parents don't ever move. We asked Eric yesterday if he regretted leaving a year early, he didn't. He was done with Jenks. He was ready to move on.

But,
if he had stayed,
Eric would have been valedictorian tonight. He should have been salutatorian last year but was disqualified because he graduated early. I have regret. In fact I feel sick to my stomach over the whole thing. Being a valedictorian from a competitive school like Jenks is an honor he could have had forever.

So what if during the program he would have sat on the stage and had his name prominent on the program. Oh well.
Ugh. I never have pronounced Jenks like the locals (Jinx). I may start.

So what, if Jenks didn't want to give him the honor, he had universities clamoring for his attention.

Yet, somewhere, somehow he knew he was going to BYU. Hopefully we have enough funds to provide for his counseling later in life if some regret flares up.
For full disclosure, no one has to attend tonight, we already went, and you shouldn't go twice.