2021 07 09
Article by盧頌欣
疫中的畢業禮和婚禮
大兒子第八班畢業了。雖然不能聚首一堂行畢業典禮，但學校出盡法寶舉行慶祝活動。首先，校長在戶外幾個幾個地接見學生和頒證書，好朋友們借此機會在學校外短暫見面。第二天，畢業生乘父母的車子圍繞學校巡遊，老師們在路旁為他們喝采和祝福。車子都繫上氣球、裝飾、和自製的畢業橫額，好熱鬧。晚上有網上聚會，同學們致感謝辭和表演。我大兒子寫了點歌詞來抒發對學校的感情，聽見的老師和同學都很感動。第三天，學校發出一個錄像，有老師的説話，頒獎名單，還有畢業生的名字和他們參與的活動。孩子在疫情裏仍然能有一個很窩心的“畢業禮”, 我很感恩。
妹妹住在一個小鎮，我們在六月下旬參加她的婚禮。婚禮只限男女方近親參與，但同時直播給親戚朋友。教堂内人很少，而且我們都帶著口罩，但大家都歡喜地見證兩人成爲夫妻。至於晚宴，男家父母在後院設立了一個大帳篷，把桌子隔開放，讓大家可以在戶外安全用餐。當晚下微雨，為免帳篷負荷太重，我們久不久就要申手把積水推掉，但大家都不介意。人少的好處是大家可以和所有人傾談，彼此加深認識，而且致辭也輕鬆點。還有，由於人少，大家都來幫忙，我兩個兒子更自告奮勇捧餐。妹妹的婚禮和晚宴確實很特別，我也為她和她丈夫高興。
以前，我們都習慣了用一些固有的方法來慶祝人生的里程碑。雖然今年原定的計劃因疫情被逼改變，但我發現：不一樣的畢業禮和婚禮，一樣的感恩和高興！
A graduation ceremony and a wedding during the pandemic
Joanne Loo
My older son just graduated from Grade 8. The class could not gather for a traditional graduation ceremony, but the school organized a series of celebrations. First, the director met with a few students at a time and gave them their graduation certificates outdoors. Good friends took this opportunity to meet outside the school briefly. The next day, the graduates took part in a parade on their parents’ vehicles around the school. The teachers lined the route to cheer them on and send them best wishes. Many cars came with balloons, decorations, and homemade banners. The atmosphere was incredibly lively and fun. In the evening, the graduates gathered online. Some of them gave thank-you speeches while others performed. My son wrote lyrics to express his love for the school, and his teachers and fellow classmates were very touched. On the third day, the school sent out a video with messages from the teachers, lists of award recipients, as well as a list of all the graduates’ names and their school activities. Given the persistence of the pandemic, I am so glad that my son could still have such a warm graduation.
My sister lives in a small town, and my family drove to attend her wedding late June. The guests of the wedding were limited to close relatives, but the ceremony was live streamed to relatives and friends. Even though there were very few people within the cathedral and we had masks on, we happily witnessed the union of the bride and groom. For the reception, the groom’s parents had set up a large tent in their backyard and spaced out the tables so we could enjoy the dinner safely outdoors. It rained that evening, and we had to be careful not to let the collected rainwater overload the tent. Every once in a while, we had to reach up to push the water off the tent, but no one minded. With so few people, we could easily chat with everyone and get to know one another better, and making a speech was more relaxing. Also, everyone helped move things to the backyard, and my two sons even volunteered to serve the meals. My sister’s wedding and reception were special indeed, and I am happy for her and her husband.
In the past, we were accustomed to certain ways to celebrate major milestones in life. Although our graduation and wedding this year looked quite different because of the pandemic, I am just as grateful and glad!