Connecting the Dots

"You cannot connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking back" Steve Jobs Stanford University Commencement 2005

Every, yes! EVERY June, I get teary. The tears are happy ones. They are like the tears when you see a baby being born. They are like the tears when you you see a couple look into each other's eyes and say "I do". They are the happy tears at the end of "Sleepless in Seattle" when Tom and Meg finally find each other on the top of the Empire State Building. You know, HAPPY TEARS! These happy tears always flow from my eyes in June - the month of Commencement.

I love watching and listening to commencement speeches. They, too, make me cry! I love the excitement about the future. I love the encouragement to look back to the life's lessons that the years in college have provided. I love that great people, great thinkers and great do-ers are empowering the graduates to go conquer the world, to follow their passions, to think and to do!

some of my favorite commencement addresses:

Ellen Degeneres http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JccudODwwY
Michele Obama http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/16/michelle-obama-commenceme_n_204...
Tim Russert http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/speeches/russert97.htm
Steve Jobs - too many to include all, but this one is my fave
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

This year, as every year, I will tear up again as the parents of Cal Poly graduates flock to San Luis Obispo to witness their child commence forth into the world, a well earned diploma in hand. The families that are staying at Petit this year for graduation weekend have stayed with us throughout the four/five years that their kids have been at Cal Poly. We met them as they set loose their eighteen year olds into the unknown world of Cal Poly life and now we share with them the excitement as they watch their children conquer yet another milestone. Congratulations to all! Connect your dots!!!!

And we say congratulations to Riley, Ashley and Kortney as they, too, commence forward to follow their passions and conquer the world! We love you!

With crocodile tears,
Dianne

about June wines tomorrow when I can see again
And I get to write about an exciting give-away starting June 1st!