I was packing for a family trip back to Houston. The commencement ceremony for my Master’s degree was the next morning and I had decided to participate. I was torn between feelings of both pride at my accomplishment and dread at wearing the regalia when I heard a faint cry from my son’s bathroom. “Mommy…. Mommy, I need you.” I dropped the gown and hood and ran into his bathroom to find him sitting on the toilet looking pale.