介绍:
Lessons from Life
Congratulations to all of you and especially to the magnificent Berkeley graduating class of 2016!
Today is a day of reflection, because today marks the end of one era of your life and the beginning of something new.
One year and thirteen days ago, I lost my husband, Dave. His death was sudden and unexpected. For many months afterward, and at many times since, it has been an emptiness that fills my heart and lungs, and gets me lose my ability to think or even to breathe.
Dave’s death changed me in very profound ways. I learned about the depths of sadness and the brutality of loss, but I also learned that when life sucks you under, you can kick against the bottom, break the surface and breathe again. I learned that in the face of any challenge, you can choose joy and meaning.
I’m sharing this with you in the hope that today, as you take the next step in your life, you can learn the lessons that I only learned in death. Lessons about hope, strength and the light within us that will never be out.
Everyone has already experienced some disappointment. You wanted an A but you got a B. You got an A-, but you’re still mad. You will almost certainly face more and deeper adversities.
When tragedy or disappointment strikes, you should know that you have the ability to get through absolutely anything. As the saying goes, “We are more vulnerable than we ever thought, but we are stronger than we ever imagined.”
There are so many moments of joy ahead of you — that trip you always wanted to take, and the day you get a job doing something you truly believe in. All of these things will happen to you. Enjoy each day and every one.
You have the whole world in front of you. I can’t wait to see what you do with it. Thank you!
