graduation day

when i entered the school campus this afternoon, the elementary department was having its commencement exercises. the honor graduates, together with their proud parents, marched on stage to sir edward william elgar's "pomp and circumstance" to receive their medals.

hearing this march brings back memories of graduations i have attended, either as a graduate or a proud sister. they played pomp and circumstance during my high school and grade school graduations, and then for our graduation day in law school. i don't think they played this for my BA graduation -- UP probably had their own graduation march. they played it during my sister's grade school and high school graduation (she and i went to the same school), and for my brother's grade school graduation. i didn't attend his high school graduation because it was held on the same day as my sister's grade school ceremony, so we had to divide the family, with mom going to my brother's school, and me and dad going to my sister's.

graduation has always been said as the transitioning from one phase of our lives to another. from grade school, those who graduated this afternoon will now transition to high school, a bigger world with bigger responsibilities. high school graduates will transition to college and young adulthood, which means more responsibility, since this is for most people the last stage of their education and the preparation for their future. graduating from college is the end of a life of dependence on one's parents or guardians, and the start of dependence on oneself, applying everything learned from school to living a full life.

for those whose penchant for studying is never quenched (like me), they may graduate again and again from their master's, doctorate, law and medicine degrees. they will keep on hearing the graduation march, each time more meaningful. i guess i felt that way when i marched to it seven years ago, during my graduation from law school. i added another degree to my resume, another feather to my cap.

i'm looking forward to finishing my MBA next year (God willing!) and marching to that tune again, in the glow of the setting sun. it's another milestone in my life, still another feather to my cap.