Graduation!!!

I had a wonderful weekend! My graduation Friday was fabulous! Have you ever read or heard of the book Tuesdays with Morrie? The author, Mitch Albom spoke at our convocation or whatever that big meeting was called. He was wonderful. He talked about lessons he learned from his Tuesday visits with Morrie, who was his college professor and mentor. 16 years after Mitch graduated he saw a story on Nightline about Morrie and found out that he had Lou Gerrighs Disease. He decided to call him then go visit him. After the first visit he started going every Tues. He talked about some of the things he learned from Morrie. Some that stuck out to me were:

First, he started by telling a story of a country Pastor who wanted to "Put the fear of God" into his congregation so he got up and started a pretty loud sermon and said, "ALL OF YOU, EVERYONE OF THIS CONGREGATION, WILL ONE DAY DIE!!" He looked around and saw one man just smiling away and looking quite smug. The preacher continued a bit and noticed this man was still looking too happy. He finally stopped his sermon and asked this man why he was so happy. "I'm not part of this congregation, I'm just here visiting my sister!" Mitch used that as a spring board to talk about how we all need to find out where we fit in in the world. But, no matter where we end up, we will each one day die so we need to be prepared. He lead from that to telling us to picture ourselves after the graduation, surrounded by family and friends greeting us and congratulating us. Then to look beyond them to see someone very familiar walking towards us. They are slightly wrinkled, probably have some gray hairs, might have a bit of a belly... Yet you recognize that person as the future you. What would you want that person to say to you? (He told us what he hopes for us to hear at the end of his speech- I'll fill you in in a min.!)

Now for lessons from Morrie, One time Mitch asked Morrie if he envied his youth. Morrie had always been active. He LOVED to dance and now couldn't but Mitch still could. Mitch was still in the prime of his life and could do so much. Morrie said, "I don't think of age like that. I still have inside of me every age I've ever been. I've already been where you are, you should envy me I've got 40 years on you." He went on about how we can grow from every thing we experience. We can then relate to others who are going through the similar things. It was a great reminder that we need to make sure we grow closer to Christ through ALL our experiences and come out stronger then help strengthen those around us.

Another time he said, "Morrie, of all the people I know, you deserve the right to say, 'you think you've got problems? I have problems!' so why don't you? His response, "Why would I take like that? Taking makes me feel I am dying. Giving makes me feel like living- plus it rhymes so it's easy to remember." "Most peoples last words are 'I love you', not 'please bring me the big screen tv so I can touch it just one more time.'" "Make time for people. Give time to people. You'll find that death ends a life but not a relationship but you have to spend time developing those relationships so they can last." Mitch went on to talk about making sure people are your priority, not things, or meeting the next deadline, or being able to buy the next thing, or spending more time at the gym to have the beautiful body. "When you do die, people will just fight over your money and things and your beautiful body you spent all that time perfecting, will rot in the ground just like the fat guy laying next to you! Spend time on people! GIVE!"

He talked about a few more things but his point was, when the future you greets you and whispers in your ear, live so that the words you hear are, "You've helped others. You've stayed true to your ideals."

He kept it pretty short then ended and after shaking hands again with the University President and a few others sitting on the stand, he left.

The student speaker was great too, her take home for me was, "Use your education to make a difference."