A Message To Remember

"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." --Buddha

In the chill of a gloriously sunny May morning, the crowd of hundreds hustled around to find seats, settle small children, and prepare themselves for the long-awaited ceremony. The graduates scrambled for last minute tassel arrangements, hugs and a few tears as they lined up for the procession. I stood on the fringes, watching it unfold, the taste of their excitement on my tongue and the electricity tingling in my veins. So many lives in front of me that were about to change, and so many memories flashing through my own mind about the various times in my life that marked moments of monumental change. The speaker for commencement, Jill Abramsons, was the former Editor for the New York Times and this was the first time she would speak publicly after being fired from that job a scant few days ago. There was a lot of speculation about what she would say when the news broke that she'd lost her job. With quiet dignity and a smile, she stood at the podium and addressed the audience.

Ms. Abramsons' theme for her brief eleven minute speech was resilience. She gracefully shifted the attention off of herself and placed it onto the graduates and all of the wonderful opportunities that lay ahead for them. She spoke of her father, saying that he was the kind of man who was more interested in how one deals with the setbacks in life rather than the successes! She also offered that while the road ahead of them would involve the "sting of losing something" or "not getting something you were hoping for", the true measure of who you are would be in the way you showed the world what you are made of. One example she gave was of a Chinese friend and colleague of hers who fought to bring the news to his people against very difficult scrutiny and censorship from his government. When he was "detained" for months for doing a job he loved and valued, he did not allow that setback to dissuade him from his path. Instead, he said, "I did what I believe, and that's what makes me fearless!" She finished her speech to the crowd's thunderous applause. I dried my tears, went back to work, and reminded myself that when it comes to what I want, what I believe, I ought to always be fearless. I hope the graduates won't forget and I know for a fact it is a message I intend to remember!


*Note: To hear the full speech from Jill Abramsons at the Wake Forest 2014 Commencement Ceremony go to:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=wake+forest+commencement+speech+2014&qpvt=Wake+Forest+Commencement+speech+2014&FORM=VDRE#view=detail&mid=CE0AD2E977FEBAF0C500CE0AD2E977FEBAF0C500

*Image from cornishartgallery.com.

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