The morning after

Well.
I just got nine hours of sleep. And I may need a nap.
My days in grad school are now officially over. Now it's just waiting on the graduation ceremony to confer upon me the degree. Doesn't that sound filled with pomp and circumstance?
It's hard to articulate what this has meant to me. Somewhere along the way, this program began to mean more than just a process that would get me that piece of paper to hang on my wall.
It's been about friendship and support. Expansion and learning from the ground floor up. Awareness and laughter.
Who I am in the world and what do I want to do with those qualities.

This experience has been the gestation of me. And leaving the womb always entails some pain. The lovely part of this birthing, however, is that I don't feel like I'm entering a cold, noisy, too bright place. No, I feel the warmth and comfort surrounding me. I feel my ability to make choices and build dreams. I have arms around me that aren't just my family's - but my friends as well.

So, this moment will take some time to move through me. The goodbyes and the 'I'll see you on Tuesdays.' Our community is shifting into something different. I'm ready to start envisioning what that will be.