graduation

my little brother graduated from college this past weekend. despite always being too long and a little too boring, there is something that i very much enjoy about graduations - about any of these markers we create to acknowledge a period of time or an achievement; moments to pause and reflect.

as cliche as it sounds, it felt like only yesterday that we went to that same little brother's high school graduation. and i remember getting teary-eyed (easy for me) when the keynote speaker talked about all the potential of the graduates.

potential is an interesting thing. it can mean nothing or it could mean everything. it's only one of many ingredients that makes up a person's future. while this more recent commencement speaker did not mention potential per se, he talked about not being afraid to fail - about seizing those moments of perceived failure and recognizing them as opportunities to grow and learn about oneself; opportunities to let go of preconceived notions and allow yourself to recreate your path or even your goals.

funny that we don't always stop to think about these things on our own. sometimes it takes a large group of people, dressed up in robes and funny hats to get us to sit and reflect on our own potential achievements and failures.