You don't have to be related to a senior to be moved by one of the graduation ceremonies in the valley this past weekend. You don't even have to be a longtime local resident.

Graduation, regardless of its place, its year or its class, is a timeless occasion that reminds us of our own coming of age and our own struggles and victories through high school.

Of course it's much more interesting to know the Cardinals, Bulldogs and Tigers at least somewhat and see how their lives have evolved in academics and sports.

Our highlight is the show that goes back to the seniors' infant years, through toddlerhood, childhood and finally to the senior pictures revealing the young adults they grew up to be.

We've had the pleasure of catching their tail-end years in high school for almost two years, though it seems much longer than that!

This was a great year in athletics and in learning. The seniors took their teams to state in football, basketball, track, cross country and soccer (with many of the Tigers graduating this coming Friday). The Knowledge Bowl made an impressive showing with a trip to state as well.

We were there when an awesome football season came to an end on the bitterly cold turf at Martin Field in Pullman. We were there when both Cardinals teams won districts at Whitman College and then when the clock ran out on the basketball teams' hopes for state hardware on the courts in Spokane. We were there for the Tigers' triumphant first soccer season. We were there when the track team placed fifth in state.

We feel privileged to have shared a glimpse of the graduates' young lives with you, our readers and gotten to know a number of the students in the process, from band concerts to playoff games.

We just hope graduation won't mean the end of our connection with them. We hope we can continue to partake of their lives' stories, from their years in college or the services, careers, travel, family formation to their return for harvest or as alumni.

One of the recurring themes at graduations is the tight bond students have formed during the years, starting in Kindergarten for many. This means they likely will stay in touch with one another.

The annual alumni pilgrimage to Waitsburg, organized this year by Peggy Henry Baker, certainly shows the bonds have persisted among previous classes, in some cases for many decades.

With email, texting, Facebook and Twitter, staying connected is easier than it was for previous generations. So, you kids have no excuses!

We encourage today's and yesteryear's graduates to include the Times in that network.

This past week, for instance, we learned from the Lehr family about James Lehr's achievements this year in college sports. Similarly, we heard about Cole and Brittany Lindsey's trip to Kenya, Cougar Henderson's performances at the theater and Wyatt Withers' training in the U.S. Navy.

Now, of course, we're curious how Christy Poirier's year as an FFA Sentinel will go, how Justin Armstrong fares in the Navy or Molly Payne at WSU.

We want to wish all the 2011 graduates the best in their education and careers. Stay in touch with your classmates, your hometown friends and with your newspaper.

We have a website, a phone number, email and Facebook.

Don't be a stranger!