Tag Archives: school

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Graduations mark the time of year when young people all over the country are making the transition from one way of life to another. 

This evening I attended an 8^th grade graduation for a very small class of outstanding young men and women. As they stood proud in their formal robes and hats waving tassels with the bow of their heads, I noticed that a few of them had tears in their eyes.

Were those tears happy tears? Were they tears of sadness and loss, or tears of knowing that their elementary travels are forever behind them?  Do they realize that new and more difficult roads await them in high school and in their teenage years? The friends that they forged a strong bond with today may not be traveling on the same highway with them tomorrow.  The knowledge that they tested and tried will now be the base of all the learning they will ever do. 

These rites of passage remind us all that life can never stay static for too long.  Eventually, we all move on to new adventures, new friends, and new challenges.  It would be wonderful if there were graduations for all our transitions in life.  Kind of a celebration for when you move from your safe spot to one that is demanding, like when you change jobs, or become a grandparent.  However, if we celebrated every evolution we made then we would never have time to enjoy them.  Therefore, in keeping the commencements at the pinnacles of life allows us to give reverence to all the little moments that lead to graduation day.  The hardships and difficulties that we had to overcome to achieve this glorious commemoration seem insignificant when that diploma is finally secure in our hands. 

In honor of all the graduates tonight, all over the country, I wish you good luck.  I wish you new friends, fresh knowledge, and novel experiences that you can celebrate once again at your high school graduation.  Goodbye to you all and God bless you on your journey.