The Graduate

This weekend was my official graduation ceremony!!! I have to be honest: I didn’t think it was a big deal and downplayed it in my head for almost a year before it happened. I mean, I finished my final courses last July: who cares about walking across the stage to get my degree??? Well, I didn’t until about a week before it happened. The morning of the ceremony was a blur of getting ready and driving out to the ceremony, and when I was there sitting with all the other grads in my regalia, I started to cry. No joke! I was struck by all that it took for me to get to that moment, and how it easily could not have happened. I worked hard for my degree, and so did Jeff. He believed in me enough to support me financially, emotionally, intellectually and every other way while I went to school. My Mom has encouraged me my entire life in every area, and I thought about her while sitting there. I sat in the crowd at SFU for her grad almost 20 years earlier! And really, my whole family has been amazing through this. I don’t know what it’s like NOT to have a team of supportive, encouraging people on my side, and for that I’m incredibly grateful. So this is for them just as much as it is for me: I cried because I’m proud, and humbled to have the people in my life that I do. And because I have a degree, WOOHOO!!!!!