Fifth & Final
- 05
- 24
- 10
Bright College years, with pleasure rife,
The shortest, gladdest years of life;
How swiftly are ye gliding by!
Oh, why doth time so quickly fly?
The seasons come, the seasons go,
The earth is green or white with snow,
But time and change shall naught avail
To break the friendships formed at Yale.
In after years, should troubles rise
To cloud the blue of sunny skies,
How bright will seem, through mem’ry’s haze
Those happy, golden, bygone days!
Oh, let us strive that ever we
May let these words our watch-cry be,
Where’er upon life’s sea we sail:
“For God, for Country and for Yale!”
“Bright College Years”
(Written by H.S. Durand, 1881 and Composed by Carl Wilhelm)
Ten years ago, I graduated from Yale. I remember the day. The weekend. The profound perfume of pride and sadness wafting through the New Haven air. I remember wanting so badly to stay, to pause time, to soak up the sentiment I feared I wasn’t appreciating in full measure. But I also wanted it to be over. To move on. To enter that fabled real world that beckoned.
Today, it’s my youngest Sister T’s turn. She will don that standard issue polyester. In that cap and gown, she will walk. She will receive that heralded document, that diploma. She will shake a dean’s hand and smile big for photographs. At lunch, we will toast her insane 3.99 GPA which she managed to achieve – and maintain – while watching Dad get sick and say goodbye. We will also raise a glass to more intangible things. To bright and bygone college years. To heaps of happiness. To a good life beyond Ivy.
And so. On this day, I’m a proud Yalie and a proud big sister. Overwhelmed, exquisitely overwhelmed, by love and legacy and loss. At once aware of the monument that is this (fifth and final) moment and oblivious to its ultimate and unwieldy weight. For T. For me. For my family.
This post is for God, for Country, and for Yale.
But mostly?
It’s for T.
Congrats, baby sis. We are all so so proud.
And so is he.
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- Please congratulate my littlest sis on her big day! Any words of wisdom to pass along?
- Do you remember your own graduation day? How did you feel? Were you ready to move on?
- I still owe T a graduation gift. Any stellar ideas?
As strange as it may sound, there are two books every graduate should receive: Dr. Suess’s “Oh The Places You’ll Go” and Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture.”
Hope you all had a great time. Congratulations to Sister T.
Congratulations, Sister T!!! (Yes, 3 exclamation points)
No words of wisdom or graduation gift ideas here. But I am very curious to hear what is next for Sister T. It seems, judging by her older sisters and the ridiculous and awesome 3.99 GPA, great things are in store.
I have always found in my own life that pivotal moments like graduations always feel a little anti-climatic. But I think that is more my personality. For years I imagined that my b-school graduation would be one of the happiest days of my life (aside from my wedding and the births of my children, of course)and filled with alternating smiles and tears. In reality, it was more like an ordinary day. Albeit a truly wonderful ordinary day.
Wow, Aidan. 10 years and the final sister later, this truly marks the end of an era for you. I can imagine the sentiment.
Congrats, T. I hope you managed to have some fun while racking up all those A’s.
I remember my final days of college much as you do. Ambivalence on all scores. I was eager to leave, and hated to leave. I took my mixed emotions as a good sign. My reluctance to leave indicated that it had been a wonderful experience. My eagerness indicated that it had done its job and prepared me for the next thing.
I hope T’s memories of this time will evolve as fondly as yours have.
I remember I was very sad to leave college and excited at the same time. Congrats to your sister! 3.99 at Yale- WOW!!
Gift idea: for my little sister when she graduated from college I treated her to a spa day and we went and saw a musical. I thought it’d be more fun to have an experience with her and spend time with her because I couldn’t really think of anything she needed!
Congratulations T!!! Amazing GPA, that is insanely impressive.
Gift idea: since T is the family adventurer I’d say a really stylish, but lightweight and sturdy, and inconspicuous if possible, travel bag. I bet it gets great use!
Congratulations, T, and Boola Boola! (Does anyone ever really say that?)
“and so is he.”
That gets me in the gut.
Congrats on so many things.
“and so is he.”
Congrats T. Here’s to your accomplishment and the family that helped you get there. Enjoy it.
Congratulations, what an achievement. I wish sister T a life of continued success and happiness. With sisters like the ones I’ve met, she has got it made in the mentoring/role model department!
I graduated so long ago that I can’t remember what life was life.
Nicki is spot on with the Dr. Seuss book.
Words of wisdom to the graduate: savor the moment, enjoy and extend your celebration and keep the vow to stay in touch with college friends.
I failed to celebrate my college and graduate school commencements. Those are moments you can’t relive and memories you can’t fabricate.