Q: My younger brother graduated from high school and my parents are making a big deal out of it. They did the same thing when I graduated. I am not sure why this is necessary and why they get carried away at high school graduations.A: Almost all indigenous cultures have special ceremonies and rituals celebrating the transition to adulthood from childhood.They often have to show their mettle by engaging in a spiritual quest, surviving alone in the wilderness with nothing but their ingenuity. It is a challenging experience, but they not only achieve status within the community, but a sense of personal identity.In the general population, there are few ways of letting youth know that they have been entrusted with adult status. They can drive cars at 16, vote at 18 and go for a beer at either 18 or 19.But youth seldom know they have crossed the threshold and become trusted adults within the community. The closest we come to recognizing their mature status is high school graduations.That is when parents recognize their children’s progress in personal growth and development.Helping young people find some sense of identity is lacking in high school graduation.They often graduate with only a vague sense of their future. Some of them will go to university or college and continue their studies to develop specific skills while others will work their way through the labour market.High school graduation is not an end point, such as a vision quest might be in the indigenous culture. It is the beginning of the development of personal identities for many young people.For your parents, graduation is the culmination of years of commitment and never ending faith in their child’s ability to succeed.For your brother, graduation is one short moment in his life when he is able to receive recognition and support as he begins his long journey finding his identity and working his way into the community.For the community, it is a chance to celebrate his arrival into the adult world and its inherent responsibilities.For you, it is an opportunity to reflect on how much you have grown since you walked across the stage to receive your high school diploma.Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
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