A Graduation Cairn

It's that time again ... finals time.

I officially have one more week until graduation -- if I finish these papers.

(And then, summer school, but I'm not thinking about that right now. Forget I even said it.)

I am swimming in words, papers, thoughts about divorce, and step-family reformation, and differentiation, and the book of Romans, and healing, and and and and ...

But I thought I'd step out of the paper pool a minute, towel off, and at least show you a few photos from this last week. It's felt like the beginning of the end. Goodbyes are starting. Only some of us are staying on for summer school after we walk. So, we -- as a cohort of friends that have done these last two years together -- are starting the process of transition.

It's been a special time ... this marking of an ending and a new beginning. Every time I go through a transition like this, I realize once again how important it is to "mark" endings and beginnings ... whether that be with ceremonies or pictures or parties or a toast or tears. I'm convinced that we -- as humans -- need to stop and look life in the face for a minute and realize where we are, how far we've come, how far we have left to go.

So, I've been doing that a bit ... sprinkled moments of pausing ... in the midst of papers.

I'm not sure where this tradition started, and I don't want to take the time to google it, but some group of people would create piles of stones in special locations to mark things that happened on their journey. The piles of stones were called, "cairns," I believe. I've started to adopt that same practice into my own life these past several years ... not usually with literal stones, but with the same idea. I want to notice the passing of life. And I think my cairns are usually composed of words and pictures.

So, here's the first of probably a few cairns to mark my almost-graduation.

Let the hugging begin!




These are two of a few entirely quality people I've grown to love here.




This is my cohort. This was our last class together before graduation.



Though it looks like it, I haven't graduated yet. But my school does have this special chapel service in which all the students and faculty get into their regalia. Afterward, on what turned out to be an entirely lovely cool, grey, clean and breezy day, we ate treats and drank coffee together. Good times.