“Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes.” These words of German philosopher and mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss seem so much to embody the spirit of hope and adventure of graduation and of graduates.
This is one of the most joyful times of the year in which we can share in the excitement and expectations of the graduates moving on to something new and challenging. It is a time when these young people face the future full of confidence. It is also a time of sadness because moving on means leaving behind friends and experiences that will now be consigned to the treasury of memories.
I recall a student who once observed, “I wasn’t just learning English and math. I was learning about life.” And, isn’t that what education is really about – preparing us for life. From the first steps we take as a toddler to the ones we take when we cross the stage to accept our diploma, we are leaving behind as well as looking ahead in our life’s journey.
Our journey is to God, upon which we will have many companions; parents, teachers, family, friends and children. Our journey will be filled with opportunities to serve and to learn because learning about life never ends. I have heard many speak of how in adulthood they found that they learned from their children. We are never too old to learn.
So let us rejoice with our graduates as they step into their future, and pray that they will never stop learning and never lose sight of the ultimate goal of their life journeys. Congratulations to all of our graduates and their parents. May God bless you all!
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Image credit: Caro Wallis on Flickr
This post is also available in/Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish