High School Graduation Today…and Where You End Up Tomorrow

[Photo by Kevkhiev Yury. – Legal use licensed via Dreamstime - May 2016]

This weekend, I attended graduation commencement ceremonies for my eldest niece, Faith. During the ceremony, I pondered how differently my prospects seemed then compared to where I sit today. I realize now that graduations are merely a prospect of where you are, and not a promise of where you may go, or where you end up, in life.

Faith graduated from my old alma mater, and it brought back memories of my own high school graduation ceremony. In that reflective moment, I was struck by how quickly the years have passed. White sitting in the audience, half-listening to the various speakers, I contemplated how different my life turned out from when I first contemplated it while once seated as a graduate.

Graduations are milestone moments in one’s life; an opportunity to reflect on how far you’ve come. It’s only a pause – a brief stop at one of life’s train terminals – before boarding the crazy train and proceeding on with your fellow humans. Make no mistake; we’re all traveling on the same lengthy train together. We’re just getting off at different stops along the way – albeit, some of us sooner than others.

Life isn’t about which stop you get off along the way, it’s about what you do with the time while you’re traveling. Granted, life is frequently filled with personal struggles, hardships, and challenges, which often detracts from appreciating what life has to offer. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t wring pleasure, enjoyment, and satisfaction out of the moments in between. It took me many years of maturity and reflection to realize such wisdoms. Thankfully, I’ve had assistance along the way.

A close friend of mine repeated a nugget of wisdom to me on numerous occasions over the years: If you’re not enjoying the journey, why are you making the trip?

That’s one of my favorite quotes. It’s a message that’s so easy to digest. It’s a warning, an inspiration, and a reminder all wrapped into one. The truth in it is inescapable.

As I reflect on my own life, I realize how differently things have turned out from when I first contemplated the prospects for my adult life. I’m joy-filled, thankful, and somber about the culmination of my experiences, as a matter of fact. While I’m quite happy about some aspects, I’m left wanting for others. Tis the way of everyone, I suspect.

Still, in the end, I think I’ve done all right. Though I still have so much left that I want to both experience and accomplish. Perhaps that’s part of the zeal that I have for life; much like an emotional battery to draw upon as I venture onward.

What realizations do you have about your life that you’d like to share? Leave a response and let me know.

Until later, enjoy life; be kind to those around you, and Happy Reading! Peace.