The Graduation Surprise

By Gena Sysavath
Web Content Contributor

Graduation is a time to celebrate. That’s what we have always been told. However, if you’re anything like my best friend, the ultimate introvert, then that’s probably not the case.

Let’s go back just a couple of years, like 22-years ago. I was born. My best friend? She was at my birth. I mean she was only 9-months old, so I’m sure she doesn’t remember like actually meeting me, but the point is: we got some deep history.

We were there for each other’s worst and best moments. We were there for each other when our own parents stop being friends. We hung out sporadically through our youth through now. We never went to the same schools and so we don’t always have time for each other. However, if one of us needs one another when it’s serious. We will talk.

Now to the graduation surprise.

It is not big, all our big big plans are put on hold until COVID calms itself. That being said, I think my day one deserves a little something-something for her college graduation. I mean I knew she would make it through college just fine, she is the smart one. I also knew that since she’s having a December graduation in the middle of a pandemic, that she would do nothing to celebrate.

I mean nothing, like not even dinner with her parents and siblings. Her university is also doing graduation virtually, so she isn’t going to be able to walk the stage, like how we thought we would when we were younger.

So, I made a plan. The plan, however, kept being less and less impressive because I am dumb and do not take into account money or weather.

Originally, my plan was to buy a lot of balloons and create a Pinterest worthy congratulation balloon arc. I was all ready to buy a bunch of balloons in her school’s colors and all those cutesy letter-balloons that says “Grad2020” and so on.

Graduation is not in season during December and although this seems like basic knowledge… I did not know. At this point, if I order it online, it would have not gotten here on time. So, I had to improvised: I bought a balloon bundle from Party City.

I did ask her what she wanted six months prior to her graduation, however, I should always know that between the two of us, it can only be a thing: food. However, since we aren’t really allowed to eat out (except between certain times with many restrictions), I decided the next best thing was to fill a box full of her favorite candy. Which I did.

Then I got her flowers because it’s graduation. I also originally planned to get her a bunch of gift cards to restaurants, but I forgot to get them and only remember them when I was already a couple of minutes away from her place. Sadly.

The problem was that my friend is a workaholic. She works long hours almost every day and I knew it would be hard to catch her at home to even give her the present. Luckily, I have her location on my phone because of incidents. So, like a stalker, I consistently checked where she was for the whole day.

I also didn’t tell her family or anyone, so honestly, I could’ve gotten the cops called on me. But they didn’t and she got her mini-present.

She loved it.

Featured image by Gena Sysavath.