A Poem for All Graduates

Today you each embark on a journey...
each one different,
each one important.
Your eyes are set on your destination,
but do not forget the beauty that resides
in every step that you take along the way.
No dream is realized without tears
mingled with the joy.
Life's prize is meaningless

unless you appreciate
the baby steps that get you there.
As you focus on your goal,
do not lose focus of those around you...
for it is in giving to others that you will receive,
and it is in teaching that you will truly learn.
Today your mind is filled with the knowledge
that comes from hard work
and long hours of study,
but your true education is only about to begin,
for life's hallways
are filled with hidden corners
and secrets still meant to be discovered.
You are the hope of the future,

the key that will help unlock
the marvelous mysteries
still waiting to be unraveled.
Step into your life
with curious abandon.
Never lose sight of your dreams,
and when you look back on this day,
know that it was not the end of a journey,
but the beginning of the rest of your life.