The Last Stage

Graduation has always been both a happy and sad experience in one’s life. It stands for a glorious achievement one has done. It also mean the end of one’s happy, exciting school life.

Maybe some of us are wondering why graduation ceremonies are also called commencement exercises. Graduation marks the end of a course, while commencement means the beginning. Is it possible that the end also means the beginning? Is it possible that two antithetical words mean the same thing?

The explanation is quite simple: for graduation is the end of the course and commencement is either of another course or of something else - perhaps a career or perhaps another step in life. It is like twilight that marks the end of the day and the beginning of the night or like the dawn that marks the end of the night and the beginning of the day. For life and everything material around us begins and ends, and the beginning of one marks the end of another in the ceaseless march of time.

As we walk on the road of destiny, we shall be faced with trials and tests that sometimes only our hearts can understand. Some of us will travel the easy way while others have to walk and take the long road to the next world. But all I can say is that all of us will surely get there fast or slow, hard or easy, bumpy or straight.

There are times when we ponder on the why’s and wherefore’s of life, why some of us get there in the easy way, while others have to take the hard, long and scourging course, why some have to crawl why others have to run. There are a number of questions that need to be answered but if only listen to gods loving voice, these problems will have solutions.

It is a dream come true, a reality blessed with mixed feelings of today and tomorrow. Soon we will make our very first leap to an uncertain world. It would be another arena. We will take the challenge! The knowledge, learning and values embedded in us all these years will be our most valuable weapons and to use wisdom for our advancement and success. Life is what we make it!

We must be confident that whatever future has in store for us, we will eventually obtain it, for we have been rightfully prepared to reach our goal. Congratulation… of the thousands of Filipino youths today, we are the few privileged to participate the last stage- graduation.

love, now and always,