Well it’s that time of year again, where we gather and join in the pomp and circumstance of one of life’s most monumental events: graduation. Whether you are the one walking across the stage or just there to offer your support (via air horns and posters, or is that just my family?), graduations inevitably have a way of drawing one into deep reflection. For the graduate, the subject of this reflection is often the same. What awaits me in the future? For so long the future has been to graduate, but now that the moment has arrived, what is beyond that wall? How do you begin to redefine yourself once those prior educational obstacles are removed? I recall thinking to myself “no longer can I say I want to be a lawyer, now I AM a lawyer.” Adjusting to that reality is actually still a work in progress.
Yet, graduates not only ponder the future, but the past as well. They may wonder if they truly took advantage of their educational experience, and did they enjoy the collective group of people they encountered for just that moment in their lives. And of course, there are some people who do not reflect, but are just ready to get out, move on, and forget this experience every happened!
Regardless of which category you fall into, as one who has experienced and witnessed a few graduations, I want to share some of my observations and lessons I have learned.
Know You Have Made Others Proud:
Whether they say it explicitly or not, your family and loved ones are very proud of you and your accomplishment! They know all the hardships, the stress and long nights you endured to finish your degree. They celebrate you not solely because of the degree you earned, but what the completion of that degree says about the trajectory of your life. Last weekend my Aunt Tonja L. Filmore graduated on Saturday, and I could not be any more proud. She is a walking miracle and a lesson on perseverance. Her graduation is not simply an academic achievement, but a testament of hope. She has made our family proud, and you should know too that you will make your loved ones proud!
Maintain Your Friendships:
School has the amazing ability to bring together scattered and diverse people for a set amount of time, so that they can learn together, and develop relationships. Some of these relationships are temporary and exist only while you are in the context of school. Then there are other relationships that can last until death. If you have been fortunate enough to develop relationships that are worthy to be called friendships, then make sure to cultivate and maintain them after graduation. This takes intentionality and commitment. Your best friend cannot remain your best friend if you allow the physical distance to create relational distance. Conversely, if you are dedicated to maintaining the friendship, then no amount of physical space can pull you apart. I am not saying you have to have a set time each week to talk, but you must put in the work. No relationship can maintain its strength if you do not put in any effort.
It’s Ok to Be Scared About the Future:
Graduation comes with a mix bag of emotions. On the one hand you are thrilled to have completed your degree. On the other hand, the comfort and safety of school is no longer there. You must face the “real world” where they work five days a week from 9am to 5pm. No longer can you set your schedule to not have Friday classes. Despite this new reality, do not fret. We are made to adapt, and you will adjust. Even if you do not know your next step, that is fine because life is about exploring, dreaming and then re-dreaming. Of course, if all else fails you could always go to graduate school.
Enjoy Your Graduation:
This is a time to celebrate, so please do not forget to celebrate. I know you were rushing to finish those last assignments and may not want to sit through a long graduation out in the hot sun while listening to a boring keynote speaker, and then the recitation of hundreds of names you have never heard before, Lord knows I never do! But don’t let that keep you from being present and enjoying the moment. Join in the pomp and circumstance surrounding you because you have earned it!
–Until Next Time–
Palooke
