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This past weekend, my daughter graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Public Health and a minor in Chemistry. I attended her virtual graduation. If you remember from a previous blog, I am a commencement speech junkie. I love listening to speeches and when you are also celebrating the accomplishments of a loved one, it is an added bonus.

You can always learn something new from the speech or it reinforces what you already know to be true in your life.  The president of the University, Dr. Michael Drake did not disappoint me. I hope the graduates listened.  In his closing remarks, he left the graduates with three guiding principles that would help them in life:

1. Have a set of core values, stay true to those values.
2. Do your best to do your best.
3. Whatever you are doing, it is not about you but about others.

 He then ended his speech with a poem by Rabindranath Tagore:

I slept and dreamt that life was joy.

I awoke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy.

The poem was new to me and I loved it. There is a joy one gets when they are of service to others.

I congratulate the Class of 2020 – at whatever stage you are in – graduating from kindergarten to Doctor of Philosophy – you are truly special. You are destined to do great things. I also congratulate those who have stood by you through this journey. No one does it alone.