... honors, rights and privileges pertaining thereto.

This afternoon at 1 pm, I received a short e-mail,

"your diploma is in the office."

I was on campus but I didn't usually leave the IMPORTANT world cup soccer games (it was the Netherlands vs. Uruguay). However, that e-mail was special, so I left the computer I was using at the Resource Center and went to get the document.

The secretary was in a hurry to leave for the day, plus she was talking on her cell phone. So I just gave her a quick hug and whispered, "thank you" when she handed me the document. She made a sign for "key," - asked me to lock the door for her when I was done. I nodded, and then she left.

So I opened up the envelope, and inside there was a smaller envelope. I opened that smaller envelope.



And there it was, a piece of paper, with my name written on it.
I thought, wow. For this piece of paper, students worked hard for years, many times with tears, fatigue, fights, helplessness, a lot of prayers... and at the same time with enthusiasm and passion.
For this piece of paper, some would be willing to pay a lot of money, if needed, to skip the tears, fatigue, fights, etc.
For this piece of paper, some would do anything - sometimes, literally anything.

Then I realized, it was not about the paper at all. It was about what was written on it, that the piece of paper was given:

"with all the honors, rights, and privileges pertaining thereto."

A drop of tear was running down my cheek in that quiet room. To the Giver of all, my Heartbeat, my Rose of Sharon, my Everything.