The Best Graduation Music

When I started assembling slide shows for graduating seniors, it was many years before my own children got old enough to be thinking of that. I loved going through all the baby pictures and laughing at the antics of the pre-adolescent years. Even the kids that I didn't know personally, by the time I finished scanning photos and putting everything together, these teenagers had become part of my heart.

Last year, it all took a different meaning when it was time to do the graduation slide show for my son's senior class. I knew these kids, inside and out. I'd watched many of them grow up alongside my own children. I often found myself in tears as I scanned snapshots of birthday parties, Kindergarten graduations, soccer games and class field trips. Searching for music became personal. It had to be special, because these were my babies!

Here are my top picks along with a little history of why I chose them! I hope if you are planning that special show for your graduate, that these songs will be beneficial to you. They are not in any particular order

1. Legacy: by Nichole Nordeman
The song talks about leaving your mark on things and asks "How will they remember me? Did I choose to love?" and states "In the end, I'd like to hang my hat on more besides the temporary trappings of this world." It focuses on what's really important in this life.

2. There You'll Be: Faith Hill
Though it's the theme song from the "Pearl Harbor" movie, this song is the ultimate song about remembrance. You can turn the focus on the graduates years down the road. As they look back on this time in their life, they'll see that they were there for each other. And there will always be a place in their hearts for the members of their Senior class. No matter how far they go, they'll remember their strength, their friendship, and their love.

3. Looked into the Wings: Billy Gilman
It starts out with the words "I could feel you reaching out for me before we ever touched And I knew you would always be someone I could trust" It goes on to describe how at every milestone that came along "I looked into the wings and you were there." What an awesome tribute for the kids to dedicate to their parents.

4. My Wish: Rascal Flatts
" I hope your dreams stay big and your worries stay small" It's what every parent wishes for their child. And that's just what this song talks about is all the wishes, hopes and dreams that parents want to convey as their son or daughter takes that leap into the next phase of their life. I love the promise to the kids that reminds them that while they're out there on that road of life...that mom and dad still love them.

5. These are the Special Times: Christina Aguilera
This is another great one for the kids to talk to each other. It talks of holding each other in your hearts forever and that the one thing that will always be true is that the special times are the days that they spent with each other. It's one that will probably have the entire senior class crying.

6. Do I make you Proud?: Taylor Hicks
American Idol fans will recognize the song from competition. Taylor wrote this song for his dad, but I recommend it for graduation. You might consider flashing pics of the seniors with their parents during this one.

7. Whenever you remember: Carrie Underwood
When we look back, will we smile? Will we ever forget the times that we had together? How we reached the dreams together, and held our heads up high. We used this one last year for my son's class. I looked away from the screen to find all of the seniors with their arms linked together, singing and crying. It's a moment I'll never forget. The look on my son's face was one of pure love.

8. You raise me up: Josh Groban
This one would be a fitting one to dedicate to those teachers who have made an impact on the senior's lives, raising them up to stand on mountains, making them believe they could do anything.

9. Find your Wings: Mark Harris
This is another one of those teary eyed songs, that I think goes especially to the Mom's as they send their babies off into the great unknown. My favorite lyrics in the song come in the chorus: "I pray that God will fill your heart with dreams, and that Faith gives you the courage to dare to do great things. I'm here for you whatever this life brings. So let my love give you roots and help you find your wings."

The two hour ceremony will forever be etched in your mind. Make it a memory that will bring a smile to your face, and a tear to your eye.