Accomplishment

As the graduates march up one by one to be given their few seconds of recognition and their diploma, I stand in the shade of a tree at the back of the crowd.  We are here to honor a few of them, talented and accomplished people.  The sun is shining, the mood is light, and looking around I see many people from my past and present mingling in the crowd.

I am proud of these graduates, some that I know are receiving undergraduate degrees and others, their masters.  It is a day of great celebration.

Suddenly I am hit with a cloud, a feeling I struggle with often to dispel:  unaccomplished.  Inferior.  Incomplete.  I am 30, after all, and have managed to avoid any kind of degree.  Not that I've never started anything, and I'm fairly certain I have enough credits to be very close.

This time of the year brings out the worst in this feeling, but it is always there in the back of my mind.  Occasionally it rears its ugly head, and I have to fight to push it back down.  Now is one of those times.

As I look around, I fix my eyes on my family standing next to me.  I have a wonderful husband and a beautiful baby girl.  For now, this is enough to fight the feelings of inadequacy.  For now, I can feel a small sense of the large accomplishment that comes with my family and the people that love me.  For now, I can join in the celebration of the accomplishments of those I love who are graduating here today.  And for now, it is enough.