It's commencement time, and whether "Pomp and Circumstance" will play for your favorite scholar at kindergarten, graduate school or some stage in between, a carefully chosen gift will help you say, "I'm proud of you."
Instructions
1. Think in terms of beginnings - after all, that's why they call it "commencement." Give the grad something to inspire the next step, whether it's the launch of a new career or another rung on the academic ladder.
2. Help the brand-new lawyer, doctor or professor furnish that waiting room or office. A beautiful rug, a handsome piece of furniture or an elegant picture frame will set a tone that says, "I'm on my way."
3. Bestow the time-honored graduation present: travel, geared to the scholar's interests. Treat the high school or college grad to whatever broadening adventure your budget allows for: a summer on an archeological dig, a two-week seminar on a favorite subject, or a no-holds-barred grand tour.
4. Take the younger graduate on a cross-country train or car trip. Or sign up for a learning adventure. Many national and state parks, environmental groups and historic sites offer family work-play-learn vacations ranging in length from a weekend to several weeks.
5. Spring for further study closer to home if travel isn't in the cards this year. Give the budding musician, painter or ballerina of any age a series of master classes. Sign up a kindergarten or middle school grad for a course at the science museum, the zoo or the botanical garden.
6. Make something enduring if time and your talent allow. Paint a picture, weave a rug or a wall hanging, needlepoint a pillow, or build a bookcase that can travel with the recipient through the years.
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