Last night, I was honored to attend a graduation ceremony at West Side High for students receiving their High School Equivalency certificates.
These students ranged in ages from young to not-so young, but what they all had in common was a dedication and desire to better themselves. They worked hard, and you could tell they were proud of what they had accomplished.
The audience was encouraged to whoop and holler when "their" student received their certificate, and it brought tears to my eyes to hear dads proudly (and loudly) yelling: "That’s my son!"
Sitting next to me was a woman who warned me I might need ear plugs when her sister received her certificate. "Don’t worry, I’m loud too," I said, laughing. When her sister, in mid-life and dressed in a purple gown and cap stepped up to receive her certificate, the lady went wild. While it was moving to see her family and friends so supportive of her accomplishment, I did jokingly say, "Maybe I did need the ear plugs after all!"
Life is all about challenges. It is also about how YOU face and overcome those challenges. Every day, you have a choice about how you are going to live your life TODAY. It was rewarding to see all these people willing to put in the work and take the steps to improve their futures!
Thanks for having me. Kudos to all!