The weather gods are with us. At least insofar that they’ve promised warmth and mostly cloudless skies during Wednesday’s high school graduation party for Elle.

If everyone shows up, we’ll be a merry 75 folks celebrating our daughter’s last day of secondary education at Borgarskolan here in Malmö. It’ll be the biggest gathering of friends and family since Charlotte and I got married in Mölle by the Sea back in 1998, 21 years ago. One huge difference is that Elle will enjoy much better weather than we did back then. We’re catering most of the food – but I’ll be making a huge batch of guacamole, a large bowl of spicy salsa and some cummin and sesame flavored hummus.

Though the occasion is obviously meant to celebrate Elle’s achievement of graduating high school – and sorry if this comes across as being self-congratulatory – I also see it as something we as parents and her guides/advisors should be permitted to commemorate as well.

Don’t get me wrong here. Raising Elle has been mostly super-smooth sailing. Easier and certainly less dramatic than say, what I experienced and more relaxed/exciting than Charlotte’s upbringing. That said, I ascribe much of Elle’s positive attitude and social competence to us being reasonably good role models – both at home and during all our visits abroad. Not that there hasn’t been a few speed bumps or the occasional hurdle along the road. That kinda goes without saying. Like most parents, we fuck up from time to time. But both Charlotte and I have good reason to stand tall and be proud of both ourselves and our beautiful daughter during the celebrations.

The graduation party indubitably marks the end of an era in all our lives. Even if she’s been 18 for six months already, Elle is somehow more of an adult now. It’s time to let go. Yet as most mothers and fathers know, parenthood is a lifelong commitment (emotionally and, hopefully, to a lesser degree, financially). And even when we later on this year venture off in different directions geographically, we all know that our emotional bond to each other will continue to be close and resilient.

Shot the above view earlier this morning, about an hour after returning from the gym at Kockum Fritid (my first serious workout in about two weeks).