"Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on you own. And you know what to do. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go." -excerpt from Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr Suess.

As I pondered over what to write, I asked my husband for topic ideas. He rattled off a few thoughts and mentioned that it should be a witty commentary on graduation. He said that all my writings are somewhat witty. Hm. Apparently he hasn't read the blog lately! ;) So here it goes: my commentary on graduation and life after graduation.

Your senior year is all about endings, beginnings and all the once in a lifetime experiences. You stand at the cusp of greatness, nothingness, and everything in between. You are about to leave behind childhood and enter into a life that is what you create. I once heard someone say that you should strive to live a life which someone would want to read. Oh, I hope yours doesn't wind up to be a tragic comedy. But for real, fight to live a life worth telling others.
You'll forget some people that were in your graduating class. Oops.
Life won't go the way you plan, and you will have to redirect. Just remember that sometimes you have to redirect once, twice, and again, and again... and again... Just remember to keep going. You will figure it out.
You will look both silly and distinguished in your cap and gown. It's unexplainable.
Life will be hard, and there will be tears, especially if you are a Cowboys fan. Every year they make my heart hurt. Through those tears, we gain perspective, sift through the unnecessary fluff in life, and realize what is important.
You will face difficult decisions, and some you will get wrong- like whether to get a coffee or tea at four in the afternoon. At 2 am, you realize, oh, coffee. How could you betray me?!? It is okay to make wrong decisions. Learn from your mistakes. Grow. Keep moving forward.
If you haven't already, you will most likely meet the love of your life. Andddddd..... 99.9% of the time it will not play out like The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, or any other love story that we rushed to see in theaters. It will be real life. And it will be perfect.
You will find (sometimes through trial and error) a passion that fuels your days and inspires you to change the world. See #2 above. If you keep trying, keep going, (and most importantly keep pursuing God), you'll discover what makes your heart burn.
At some point after high school graduation, you will create your own family- whether it is made up of other individuals, your spouse and children, or fur babies and people. Love those people with all you have. Relationships are so very important. People are what matter.
If you find yourself in the fetal position (picture Rasputin from Disney's Anastasia when he falls apart... I might have felt this way) at some point between the start of your senior year and the first semester of college, just know that you are not alone. See #1, #3, #5, #6, #8...
On graduation day, things seem to become clear. It won't matter what shoes you wore, who won the argument, or other petty things that caused disagreements. As you close one chapter and move on to another, small details no longer matter. Your character, your decisions, morals, and values, and who you are as a person are what matter as you move forward. Remember, to live a life worth writing, but also, be the person worth remembering.