It was all emotion this morning, as we bid adieu to middle school, with our “sandwich” child. We call him that because he’s right smack dab in the middle of the pack, squished together by the oldest and youngest.

But don’t let his being a “sandwich” fool ya, ’cause he brings with him some really delicious layers of flavor, adding just the right amount.

We sat – 6 feet apart – through the heat and the speeches and the never-ending announcements of each of the names of what seemed to be 4,708 students (though realistically closer to 250).

For me, the piece de resistance came at the end, when closure was marked by a single, breathtaking moment: the embrace between my father and my son.