The Power of Love - Dad's Graduation Day

 

Dad graduated again this week.  At the age of 90 he's graduated several times already. 

 

He graduated from Lattimore High School in 1939 and there are stories galore of those early school years with 'Fessor Blanton.  And schoolboy pranks with Carl and Donald.  And singing in the school play  'I'm a lonely little petunia in the onion patch'.  I've never seen a picture of him as the petunia in an onion patch but the visual in my mind's eye is pretty hilarious.

 

He graduated from Wake Forest College in 1943 with a Batchelor of Science Degree.  He has always loved the sciences and the medical community.  There are plenty of stories about those years at the old Magnolia Campus.  And his version of "War of the Worlds".  And hitch hiking all the way over to Raleigh.  

 

Then he graduated from Emory University Dental School in 1946 following in the footsteps of his father to become a dentist. 

 

But Dad's a life long learner and has gotten an education along the way in many other ways.  Like serving as a Major in the Army and serving in many capacities in the NC Legislature, and serving on all kinds of boards and committees.  And starting the Round Up Store and running a dairy farm and raising cows.  When you live to be 90 there's a lot of ways to learn. 

 

For sure he's gotten an education by being married to Ruby for 66 years.  Ruby is a very good educator.

 

No doubt he's learned a few things from having five daughters, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.  Because we all learn from being challenged and I'm pretty sure there have been a few children challenges.  I might have even been party to a challenge or two. or three.

 

He's taught a good bit too.  To family, friends, politicians, farmers, co-workers and just people he meets standing in line at the DMV office. 

 

I have a lot of favorite lessons he's taught over the years.  Like 'nothing good happens after 11:00 at night'.  Followed by 'and be home on the 10:30 side of 11.'  Mama sometimes has to reinforce this one even to this day. 

 

And 'don't look at the world through a peephole in the fence'.  And of course the one his father taught him about facing challenges, learning, and moving on -  "Tiz what Tiz and can't be no tizzer." 

 

But his all time favorite is that 'when the Power of Love overcomes the love of power, the world will be a better place'.   

 

The power of Love.  A lesson of a lifetime.

 

This week Gardner Webb University conferred to Dad the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree.  A well deserved honor.   His Wake Forest and Emory degrees focused on the natural sciences - the physical condition.  The Humanities focus on the social sciences  - the human condition.  For 90 years Dad has served people and loved people and worked to improve the human condition. 

 

Congratulations Dr. Dr. Hunt!

 

 

 

 

Mom and Dad on the way to Graduation.  We joked that he looked like a cross between Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz. 

 

Graduation at age 90 at GWU.  The choir sang a song based on Psalms139 - "Search Me O God and know my heart".  An appropriate reflection at any age.

 

It was touching during graduation to see young ladies take turns signing and singing with this young man so he could experience commencement.

 

Friends and family gathered in the Tucker Student Center to celebrate Graduation Day with

 Dr. Dr. Hunt.   For graduation and his birthday we gave Dad his very own iPad.  And the life long learning continues!