Jackson’s Graduation Celebration, Day 2: Brunch Before the Ceremony

June 1, 2025

Liz and I woke up early, got packed up, checked out of the hotel, and made our way over to the Holders for an early brunch.

Anne, taking a photo of Jackson with some Lafayette College swag. Which, apparently, is all the rage and the thing to do in terms of social media posts.

I was trying to be quick here, and wanted to capture this moment – a photograph of someone taking a photograph. I think that the social media post will be a lovely thing to see, but I like this behind-the-scenes moment a bit more.

Side note: I like this moment a lot. But what’s missed a bit is Grace in the background. It’s a lovely capture of her, smiling as she looks at her little brother.

For much of our time there, we all relocated out to the back deck. There was a lot of discussion about college and everyone’s various college experiences. Again, a lot of fun stories shared (and advice given), about how everyone else first ventured out into the world.

I didn’t end up taking a lot of photos which, I think, is a good thing. I feel like I was enjoying the company and the moment a lot more. And the few photos I took do (I hope) a good enough job representing the feel of the visit.

The actual graduation ceremony is later on today (at 6PM). The timing was difficult for us to swing, so we ended up saying our goodbyes around 3PM and made our way back to Chicago.

Congratulations, Jackson! We are so very proud of you, and excited for what you’ll see and experience in the years ahead at college. We’re happy we got to join in the celebration, for this big day.