Graduation - A Matter of A-B-P

 
Graduation Day was a great mixture of quite a few things.

There was pride, surprise, happiness, family togetherness, and joy.

There were some heart-felt moments of pride in his accomplishment and overcoming a variety of obstacles in reaching his goal of a Bachelor's degree in Risk Management.  Pride in the man he's become, and his readiness to move on into the world.

Surprised, too, that it's been five years since a graduation day  in 2008 when he received his diploma from Lutheran High School.  It's so long ago, but also feels like yesterday.  Where did this confident, smart, and funny kid come from?

Five years of classes coming to a close is a happy event in reaching a finish line that at times seemed out of reach.  He is happy to be done and move on to the next thing, and as a parent, it's wonderful to share the joy of one finish line and the start of a new race.

My mom, his grandma was able to be on hand for the big day - and less than a year since the sudden loss of his grandfather - yesterday's ceremony took on additional meaning in marking this milestone.

It's joy - thankfulness to God for blessings of health and talent, and the potential opportunities that lay before him.

There's also continued prayer, for those opportunities and on-going protection through his life.

The speaker at his College of Business Commencement talked about three keys to the 'real world:' A - B- P.

Attitude trumps all, said the speaker, and is worth double either of the other two traits.  A positive attitude helps show employers a willingness to work (hard) and take on the tasks that need to be done.

Behavior matters, too.  For one, don't surprise the boss!  (That's a smart idea, no matter where or for whom you are working.)

Performance is the bottom-line of any business, of course, and that's the easiest of the three.  That's what the graduates are trained to do and now is the time to bring it to the table.

Listening in on the bit of advice and pep talk - the three simple words were great reminders of how each of us should approach a new job or our current one.

Maybe everybody should take in a commencement address from time to time, take notes, and take it heart.