Graduation

My youngest step-daughter Nicole graduated from Queens College yesterday. It was an exciting day…that had been years in the making. She looked beautiful and beamed with pride – as we all did. A monumental day of sorts – as it is a milestone – another step forward on her life’s journey.

There were several (thankfully short) speeches…each with its standard “the future is yours” flair – preparing the students for life on the “outside.” Funny – sounds a little like letting the prisoners escape the yard – “Good luck on the outside kid, you’re gonna need it!” joked the warden.

There was one metaphor which struck me (and oddly enough caught Nicole’s attention too) was when one speech spoke of balance – that when riding a bicycle the only way to stay balanced is to move forward. The analogy naturally was life. In order to stay balanced, one must keep moving. Keep moving not for movements sake, but to keep going – despite the obstacles, the uncertain terrain ahead. It is the people who have come through intense adversity and persevered by moving towards the future, that most inspire me. Their inner strength, their courage, their ability to rise above that which drags us down.

It is a beautiful message. Because life is fluid, life is always moving ahead regardless of what we are each experiencing. With each death, there is a birth. Cyclical and poetic. Embracing that notion – and truly living it – is in my humble opinion, one of life’s greatest challenges and rewards.

Get on the bike. Pedal. Move forward. Feel the breeze on your skin, watch the world go by. Smile.