A Joyous Perspective on Education: For best results, rinse and repeat.

It's Friday, and time for another Friday Night Thought Tale Hour with the Hendersons. Here in the U.S., it's graduation season. My feeds are filled with beautiful depictions of achievement as people reach the end of the proverbial trail of an educational goal. And for me, I will finish another part of my coursework as I endeavor to continue my own educational goals. It has occurred to me, as I celebrate with those I love, that this quote about learning and education is something every graduate should remember:

“Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” 

~Socrates

This completion, while a fulfilled goal, should not be the end of a thing, but the beginning of another. It's true, isn't it, that many people reach the end of a degree course and ask themselves, "Do I want to continue?" We ask ourselves this question for many reasons, some completely practical, but mostly in part because we are tired. After all, the road to this event has been anything but easy for most, and like a good long run, there's nothing wrong with being a little out of breath. Tonight, I wanted to take a moment to help us all consider the importance of continuing the journey of lifetime learning, even while we display our flags of victory on our walls, because, 

“You'll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” 

~ Julia Child

Somewhere in all of those somewhat tedious blends of courses you had to take to build to this point of completion, were courses that set up a spark in you. They might have been far from the actual major of your degree, but close to your passion and your heart. I sometimes wonder as I travel this road myself if Institutions of higher learning place these nuggets within all the dogma just to test your resolve. But they were there, and they will remain, awaiting you to continue digging into them and possibly making them your life's work. And even while you might think you're too old, or these things are for the young, or it's been too long...

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”  

~Henry Ford

I have a dear friend, Shelley, who realized this a couple of years ago, while she was approaching a well-earned retirement date. As she encouraged her son to continue his education and provided him with all of the reasons why he should, she also realized this was something she had missed out in her own life. So, with a child entering college and another entering high school, she went back to school. This week, after many hours of hard work and many times of considering giving up, she walked in Graduation ceremonies with her son by her side. 

And I bet she doesn't feel finished, just inspired.

Inspired to keep learning and to investigate the flame that has been lit. Because Shelley knows what some only guess is true, 

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” 

~Einstein

So here's to all those sleepless nights, wondering if you'll be able to finish that paper while finishing that project at work...

Here's to hitting submit to the exam and praying you see a grade that means you passed...

Here's to closing the computer, going to that family event, and then coming home only to open it up again...

Here's to finishing courses with an A and still feeling like you don't have a clue what you learned...

But mostly...

Here's to that feeling of joy that engulfs you as you realize that new level of understanding about something you only used to know about...

Here's to all of you graduates. So go now. Rinse for a bit, then repeat.

Cheers, Friends.

Joy's Blue Graduation Cocktail**

2 oz Absolute Acai Vodka

1 oz peach schnapps

1/2 oz Blue Curacao liqueur

splash of berry infused Ginger Ale

Mix all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with blueberries.

**Always drink responsibly