May 12, 2012, was Bryce's graduation from the BrandCenter. 

Here is the graduate in all his glory.  He looks masterful, I think.

Bryce waiting to come into graduation.  Dig them barrets!

Day after graduation, we went for a hike to Belle Isle.  Historical site that is now a park in Richmond.

This picture may not look like much, but it is here because it reminds us of something very meaningful that happened to us.  My Mom and Dad, Eva and I, were all there in Richmond VA for Bryce's graduation from The Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University.  We arrived Friday evening and had dinner at a Cuban restaurant (Bryce's choice) which was good food and atmosphere. 

Bryce's graduation event was just for the Brandcenter--we did not participate with the rest of the university.  The event started at 3:00 p.m on Saturday and Bryce was supposed to be there at 2:30.  We decided to all go down to Williamsburg VA, the colonial history site, Saturday morning.  We had a nice visit there for several hours.  It is about a 40 minute drive from Richmond.  We left Williamsburg in plenty of time to make it back to Richmond for the graduation.  We stopped on the way back for some fast food lunch.  It was Dad, who was driving his rental car, Bryce, Eva, Mom and me in the car.  Dad mentioned that he needed to get some gas and we thought we would get it where we got off the freeway for lunch, but there was no gas station at that exit so Dad said he thought he had enough gas to make it to Richmond so we started back north on the freeway. 

We had only gone a few miles when the traffic ahead of us came to a complete stop.  We could not see what the problem was, but it was obvious the freeway was completely closed down.  We could see people ahead of us getting out of their cars and walking around on the shoulder.  It was a four lane divided freeway, with a band of trees between us and the lanes going south.  There was no way to exit or get off.  We saw a helicopter flying ahead of us, obviously off in the distance it was heading to land on the freeway.  Life flight.  We looked at the clock and realized that with the freeway closed and at least several miles of traffic backed up, there was no way we were going to make it to Bryce's graduation in time.  Bryce would not be making it to his own graduation.  We all felt sick and knew how much it would hurt Bryce. 

My Dad only hesitated for a minute or two and then he turned the wheel to the right and started driving north on the shoulder, passing all the cars that were stopped.  A few people waved at us like "who do you think you are?" and one honked.  We had to wait for some people who were standing around to get out of the way.  But we gradually moved past all the traffic.  When some people made rude gestures at us, Dad just pointed at Bryce.  He had to get his grandson to his graduation.  Dad said later that if the police would have given him a ticket he would have just told them the same. 

Hard to say how far it was.  A couple of miles at least.  We were lucky there was a wide shoulder all the way, that there were no bridges or obstacles.  We went all the way up to near the accident scene.  There was a spot about 10 cars back of the road block where we could pull in in front of truck.  So we did.  Still, we didn't know how long it would be until they opened the road.  We watched the clock.  We waited.  Waited some more.  Watched the clock.  Checked and re-checked the GPS. 

Eventually the helicopter took off and they opened the road.  Bryce and I have GPS on our phones so we checked what it said about how long it would take to get to Richmond.  It would be close.  The GPS also showed stop and go traffic again up by Richmond.  Sure enough as we neared Richmond there was a sign saying construction ahead.  So Bryce had us get off the freeway some ways before his normal exit and we worked our way across Richmond on the surface streets.  All the while Dad is saying he is out of gas, but we were saying if we stop we won't make graduation. 

We had planned to go to our hotel and change and take Bryce by his house to get his cap and gown and change clothes, but we obviously couldn't do that so we just went by Bryce's house where he ran in and grabbed the bag with his cap and gown in it, a shirt and tie and shoes and he changed in the car as Dad drove to the Church where they were holding the graduation.  Dad muttering that we must be running on fumes. 

We pulled in front of the Church at ten minutes to three.   Bryce jumped out of the car right where the students were lined up to enter the Church.  His classmates cheered when they saw him jump out of the car.  Mom, Eva and I got out of the car there too and went into the graduation services.  We were dressed in our casual clothes but very glad to be there. 

Dad went and got gas for the car and came back and parked in the no parking zone in front of the Church so that he could be there in time for the graduation.  (He was not ticketed.) I asked Dad how much gas the car took.  He said that he had looked it up in the car manual in the glove box and the car had taken one-tenth more gas than the maximum capacity of the tank!!!!

As I look back on it now, I honestly feel we were blessed.  One of those tender mercies.  Bryce really would have been hurt to miss his graduation.  It was important to him and to all of us.  So many things had to work out just so so that he could make it there. 

Another classic Isaacson adventure!  Thanks Dad.  I doubt if I would have had the guts to do that!