Carpe Diem

On Friday, my son-in-law Jason received his doctorate in Physical Therapy. He did so  along with 750 other students who graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta with various medical degrees. The stadium was filled with proud families, many white haired and walking slowly on the steep stadium steps of the arena. As I was seated in my frigid not very comfortable stadium seat, I found myself planning how I could rescue one particular sweet lady with a shirt that had appliqued daises on it if she started to fall as she was making her way up the steps. I never did actually come up with a plan in which both of us wouldn't fall to our deaths so it's a good thing she made it. What made them risk life and limb to come watch their grandson or granddaughter receive their degree? It was written all over their faces that a dream had come true for them, for one of their own to become a doctor or a nurse or a physical therapist. The whoops and cheers and even blow horns, could not be contained even though we were admonished to please refrain until the end. Who could blame them? Behind every graduate's name that was called was sacrifice both from the graduates who had grown tired long ago of studying and also from their families who had worked hard every day to fund them.

This day is so joyful, so hopeful for these young people who can finally begin their jobs doing what they have trained to do. These young people are the future of medicine and I have a feeling I will be calling on them one day in the not too distant future. I don't think there was a happier place on the planet than in that arena that day.

Thank you graduates for sticking with your education when you didn't feel like it. That lesson alone will take you far. After too many ridiculous images of Occupy Wall Street, these are the images I will think about. Society thanks you. I thank you. Lucy thanks you!