So the nephew graduated (magna cum laude) from Brandeis this past weekend and the keynote speaker was Israseli Ambassador Michael Oren. www.brandeis.edu/now/2010/may/commencementstory.html. The whole thing had a very boomer feel, given that pop icon Paul Simon was on hand to receive an honorary degree and there were protestors out front. Simon played "The Boxer" which resonated with the parents in the crowd probably more than the grads. Beside the heat (yes I was furiously waving my Menopause the Musical fan) and the near-riot that occurred outside the venue - not from protestetors - but all the parents and grandparents who were not allowed in the auditorium until a good 20 minutes into the ceremony - it was that rare kind of event that ends up having all the emotions and good feelings it's supposed to have. For our family it was all cranked up a million notches because the aforementioned graduate, was born with a very agressive form of cancer. We all recalled the day 21 years ago, his amazing doc at Floating Hospital in Boston, about 15 miles from the graduation venue, gave hope to a traumatized family when he said, we'd all be attending our boy's college graduation one day. True Dat Dr. Wolf and yes, in our case, "the fighter still remains."