I really enjoy graduation time and remember my own high school and college grads so clearly. It's such an interesting time of the year for everyone. It is one of those things about life that is so constant. We will always have people graduating from something. Even preschools have graduations these days! Driving around Rob's hometown this weekend there were so many signs saying "Congrats Class of 2008!" and I just found it interesting that really the only thing that changes about graduations (besides the people graduating obviously) is the year. 2003, 3004, 2005, 2006, 2007....
The speaker at Lauren's graduation was one of my favorite people, author Lauren Winner. Read her books. Seriously. Girl Meets God, Mudhouse Sabbath, and Real Sex. She's great. When I found out she was the speaker I was pretty much beside myself. And I did get to meet her and talk to her afterwards which was a huge highlight. (Ask Rob how nervous I was and then of course she was soo cool and down to earth...I always seem to get myself so worked up about things like that...)
But besides just being in her presence, I was reflecting on what Lauren had to say about the reason we call graduations "commencements." The word commencement actually means to begin something or start something new. So while a graduation may seem like a finishing up, it's really the beginning of something new.
And so it is with many things in life. We begin something new and therefore go through a transition into that new thing or stage of life. Perhaps every time we start something new we don't have some big graduation ceremony, but there are moments and reasons to celebrate beginning something new.
The funny thing though I'm finding about life is that eventually, the cycle will start again and a new transition will occur and so forth and so forth. And to me that feels healthy and good. We see those types of cycles in nature with the changing of seasons. We see those types of cycles in our own bodies and in the bodies of animals and plants. It's refreshing to start a new cycle sometimes.
I'm getting married in 26 days and while I'm so excited, I know that it will be a complete change of life and time for something new. But you know, it's refreshing still to know that eventually an anniversary will come and we'll always celebrate anniversaries, and birthdays, and graduations, and weddings, and mothers day and the forth of July.............
3 comments:
"The funny thing though I'm finding about life is that eventually, the cycle will start again and a new transition will occur and so forth and so forth. And to me that feels healthy and good. We see those types of cycles in nature with the changing of seasons. We see those types of cycles in our own bodies and in the bodies of animals and plants. It's refreshing to start a new cycle sometimes. "
This was my favorite paragraph-- both because of its depth-- because of its reflection on the Creation which is continually revealing God's glory, and because of the last sentence...It's refreshing to start a new cycle sometimes. Amen sister, get me past the pms on onto the week after!
And... well, being an only child an d all ( and its not really being an only child, I just joke because you joke about it ) well, I don't want to be selfish, because these other posts are really great...but...
Well... I don't know... hmmm I mean, Chicago is real nice...have you been there lately?
( and by the way, I know we both have been crazy busy, so know that I'm joking about you posting the Chicago weekend:)
I totally agree my love :). I like reading your blog. You're wonderful
omg i can't believe laura winner was the grad speaker and you MET her! how awesome is that . . . what college?
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