Congratulations Amber!

Early summer is graduation time.

From preschool to graduate school, students amble across platforms, cap and gown on to celebrate their accomplishments. 

Friends, siblings, parents and grandparents beam with pride as milestones are reached. 

Last Friday I had the opportunity to celebrate with a young lady, Amber Benn, as she graduated from Pima Medical Institute.  It was a fun evening and a true indication of  how hard she has worked.  It was a great accomplishment! 

Amber on the left

Sitting in the auditorium my mind went back to other ceremonies:my own graduation, that of our children and many other’s commencement day. 

Graduations have a soft spot in my heart. 

Graduates work hard - they put in long hours, sacrifice of money and time with family.  There are no “instant gardens” in this accomplishment.  It takes prowess, mastery, competence, capability, proficiency, aptitude and simply drive to reach a goal.

Oh, maybe you’ve not heard my “instant garden” story.  An “instant garden” is what you get when you go to the garden store and spend $200 and buy plants in full bloom with fruit ready to pick. 

It’s not planting, watering, weeding, and cultivating.That is the know-how to an accomplishment.

Even after graduation life is like that: no “instant” fixes

Neuroscientists say we continually graduate in our thinking and understanding of life.  We choose what we focus on.  Where we spend our days.  How we work through sleepless nights.  What sacrifices we make for family and friends. 

LIFE is an accomplishment, something to live and achieve successfully one day at a time.

Recently I heard an acronym for LIFE.  It stands for

Learn, Implement, Fail, and Evaluate. 






I thought that was cool.

So congratulations to all the 2015 Graduates - from grade school to graduate school we are proud of you!

Now, as my Mom would say:








Apply what you learned and love LIFE!