the youngest member of our family graduated college today. by now, i've decided that she will always be little to me, probably even when she's 50 years old.
graduation, as a bystander 7 years later (or maybe only 3, since the middle sister's turn), still feels the same -- a moment of closure, like the end of a long journey, but also a time of new beginnings, like the start of a new voyage. 'commencement' to me is an interesting word -- i often associate it with a conclusion since it is used at graduation -- but it actually means the mark of a new beginning. a dawn. a birth.
there were a few particular quotes the speaker, nobel prize-winning author toni morrison, delivered that resonated with me and captured this feeling poignantly: "the narrative of a worthy life is yours to write... you can invent the language to say who you are and how you mean in this world... the plot you choose may change and even elude you, but being your own story means you can control the theme." i loved her use of analogies to pass on a clear message: live. live for life, liberty, and the pursuit of "meaningfulness," in her words.
so congratulations (!) to our little one -- to new beginnings, to new stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment