Amani Graduates

Com-mence-ment

1. an act or instance of commencing; beginning

2. the ceremony of conferring degrees or granting diplomas at the end of the academic year.

3. the day on which this ceremony takes place.

This past Memorial weekend my daughter Amani graduated from Wesleyan University. Of course there was all the pomp and circumstance one would expect, but what moved me most was the community of friends my daughter had amassed. At times I was overcome with emotion, the feeling one has when with each breath a tear begins to form a puddle, only to have a heavy wink quickly swallow it back.

Kennedy Odede ’12 addressed the class with a moving story of his against all odds journey from the Kibera slums of Kenya to Wesleyan. My discomfort of sitting in the beaming sun for two hours were minor compared to the obstacles Kennedy overcame.

By now most of the tears have been dried, suitcases unpacked, and those of us whose graduates have decided to return to the family nest are settling in.

The commencement of my blog parallels my daughter’s graduation. As she ponders on what her next step will be, I too will stumble here and there as I discover my “blog” voice.

GIGI

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