The other week a friend asked if I could take photos of her children at their senior formal (for other parts of the world this is known as prom).Lets just say I was nervous. Actually lets be real, I was petrified! These were photos to mark a tremendous point in time for the family, a rite of passage marked as a celebration for ending high school.
Well I managed to do it without stuffing up, but the whole event got me thinking. What are this generations Rite’s of Passages? Not only what are their rites of passage, but are those rites of passage any different for each generation?
Does each generation just tweak the previous generations ideals to modernize or to put their own mark on it? If nothing else, taking photos of my friends children at their senior formal, had me think fondly of my formal. The excitement in the lead up and the next chapter of my life.
It also made me reflect on what rites of passage my own children will have. For one thing a senior formal means completing high school. Something at least one of my children will struggle to do. Not that he will be a high school drop out, but will instead start his career path early with an apprenticeship. His rite of passage will be completion of an apprenticeship, which will probably be a bigger impact for him than a senior formal. And a rite of passage which I will be so proud of for him!
The idea of him not having a senior formal makes me sad, however this rite of passage is meant to be for him. His own path to explore and discover and for us as parents to assist and guide him through. Eventually he will have his own rites of passage that I will not be apart of but merely a spectator. However, I have started to think that some rites of passage aren’t just important for the students, but also for the parents.
Grateful Wonder 