I’m always forgetting things, leaving things behind or losing things all together. It started at an early age, I blamed the sock monsters, the dust bunnies and the ear worms that wouldn’t let me forget some silly song but always made me lose track of why I entered a room. My mother always told me “ you’d forget your head if it weren’t attached to your own shoulders”. She wasn’t wrong, I could lose my glasses on my face if I didn’t remember where I put them. I was voted “most likely to forget when graduation day was” in high school. For once though I did not forget graduation day! It was the one thing I looked forward to! I was never very good at academic work but I loved learning ironically enough. I would eat up mythology anyway or anything related to world war 2. Sadly though, neither of those were classes at my school. I forgot a lot, because a part of me wanted to forget the broken town and the shitty childhood I had. My father died when I was nine and since then I hadn’t been the same. I never understood how it was fair that somebody decided to drink and drive and my dad had decided to come home instead of pick up overtime like he always did. His famous words that always stuck with me were “ forgive and forget” ya know the funny thing is, I still can’t forget the sound of my moms voice breaking when she answered the door to the police officers who had come to deliver the tragic news. She didn’t leave the bed for three full days, didn’t eat, didn’t talk. I know she must sound like a terrible mother but she lost her best friend second to me.. she lost the love of her life.. so when I got the chance to choose a college, I forgot about it and didn’t apply myself because I didn’t ever want to forget my mother.

It was graduation day now, I had woken up late. 12pm flashed across my alarm clock, I panicked because it didn’t have the right time but I was still way behind schedule. Real time was 9:45am, our ceremony was at 1030 and I had a 10 minute bike ride. Mom would already be on her way from the hospital where she worked as a LPN. I jumped in the shower, did the triangle scrub and rinsed off quickly. I hopped out of the shower, brushed my teeth and got dressed throwing on my lucky t shirt, I looked for my gown.. oh no I lost it. I sprinted down stairs frantically searching, the clock read 10am. I looked down at the kitchen table where my mom had left a note on. “Figured you would be needing this. Love, Mom xoxoxo” my graduation gown underneath the cream colored paper. I threw it on quickly, checked my face for my glasses( they were there) and made sure I locked the back door before I took off. The bike ride was brief and quiet, not a car on the road because they were all at the graduation already probably. I got to the school, and the teachers were doing headcount as I walked in. I made it! I look at the crowd peeking my head from behind the curtains like it’s my first play I’m acting in. Like I’m the little tea cup and I forgot what comes after that. I blank out the rest of the names being called, I heard my name. It startles me as I jolt up and onto the stage! Like all the other kids, I shook our principal and vice principal hands. Off to the side I saw other kids removing their gowns for pictures after they took some in their gowns. My mom rushes over and rustles my hair, “ I’m proud of you baby” she kissed me on the cheek and I didn’t wipe this one off for once. I felt proud of myself, I made it to graduation. I proved them all wrong.

“Smile sweety” as I pose for the picture for my mother’s stack of albums she has of me. I took off my gown and placed it onto the stage to keep it safe. I turned around to face my mom and was met with 100 eyes staring at me. I didn’t understand and then it hit me. I didn’t forget graduation day but I forgot my pants!