Look! It’s June already! How can this be? That’s a dumb question. January through May has passed, and here we are — like it or not.

I’m not sure that I like it. June is all right. But it is my birthday month — not to mention my wife’s birthday month.

Adding another candle to the cake is not something I eagerly anticipate. And, thinking of and acquiring a birthday gift for my wife is often a challenge.

I can take comfort that after her birthday on the 4th of June (tomorrow, if you’re reading this on publication day), that I can relax for a while on the gift giving occasions for her. I will have successfully made it through Christmas, Valentine’s Day, our wedding anniversary and Mother’s Day. Whew!

It’s not that gift giving is a terrible chore. It’s just the question of: What does one give to a woman who has everything? For example, she has me — what more could she want? (Don’t send letters. If you don’t know me very well, and didn’t detect it, let me inform you that what I just said there was dripping with sarcasm.)

June this year arrived with some fanfare. You may have noticed that on “June Eve” (May 31st) — last Sunday night, we were treated to a “Blue Moon.” (The commonly used definition of a Blue Moon is when there is a second full moon in a single month. The next time this will happen will be Dec. 31, 2028 — according to the Royal Museums Greenwich website.

I believe that information which my research revealed. I believe this despite a quote I was given in an ethics class for professional, continuing education a week ago.

The quote was attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Here it is: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”

Well, here I am again in familiar territory — deep into a column and I haven’t gotten to the real topic yet. The topic is: (as I take a quick glance at the title) graduation time.

I attended three graduations in the past couple of weeks. Manti High School had a “Graduation Parade” as they’ve done since the pandemic. I knew some and cheered for all of the “kids” in their caps and gowns as they passed by in decorated vehicles.

As I understand it, the parade has continued in lieu of traditional graduation exercises by popular vote each year of those involved. It was a fun celebration.

Another high school graduation I attended was for Skyridge High School. That Lehi school held its graduation in the Marriott Center at BYU. My granddaughter Aliza was among 800+ graduates.

There were, I’d conservatively guess, 6,000+ people there to support those graduates. Liza was, of course, the most spectacular graduate in the procession. She looked great on the “Jumbotron” video screen.

BYU concessions were open for the event. (Yes, I got a few bites of a “CougarTail” It’s a 16-inch long, maple flavored doughnut’y treat)

The other very important graduation I attended was for an institution called Creative Learning Academy. The girl in the cap and gown for this event was my 5-year-old granddaughter Colbie Rae.

She is a namesake of mine. My name is Merrill Ray, so I like to frequently include her middle name.

Another granddaughter is named Lennon Rae. So, the name is trending in the family. (My mother’s dad was named Ray)

As Colbie Rae received her certificate (it might even say diploma on it), it was announced that she wants to be a singer when she grows up. (I’ll tell you that she already is a singer.)

Multiple classmates had announced desires to be firefighters, police officers, veterinarians, and chefs. There were many other occupations announced among the 40 or so young graduates. To my recollection, there was only one astronaut and only one clown announced.

In my mind, I remembered back to when Colbie’s dad, my son, graduated from the University of Utah. At the College of Engineering convocation, I received a little surprise.

I opened the program and found that Kent was listed as being on the Dean’s Honor List. He was also the recipient of an endowed scholarship and a foundation scholarship. Who knew? — not me, until I read the program.

The dean of the college was impressed with the graduating class. He pointed out that it is pretty much accepted that engineering is the most difficult major on college campuses today. He said that an internet search would bear that out. I searched it; and he was right (notwithstanding Abraham Lincoln’s warning).

It’s the time of year for us to congratulate all the graduates who are in our circles of friends and families. A graduation card with, or without, a few bucks in it (or a gift card) would be a nice token which would be appreciated and remembered.

I can still visualize the travel alarm clock which an aunt and uncle gave to me when I graduated from Richfield High School. I used it for many years.

Congratulations Sanpete graduates! You’ve accomplished something! You’re ready for the next “something.” Continue accomplishing! — Merrill

P.S.: Here’s a few graduation quotes from graduation speeches:

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” — Vidal Sasson

“The tassel’s worth the hassle!” — Unknown

“Now that you have graduated, just remember: Bosses don’t usually accept notes from your mother.” — Melanie White

And finally, this is what 1985 Harvard History & Literature graduate Conan O’Brien said a few days ago at Harvard’s graduation, “Your real education starts now.”