The Big Three: Cap and Gown

The world can be a crazy place. Sometimes it helps to step back and list a few of the things you’re grateful for. I’m making it a habit each week to list three blessings. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, May 4 – 10.

What I’m grateful for:

—Graduation season. The graduates will walk into the auditorium in their caps and gowns to Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 by Edward Elgar. There will be lots of smiles and laughs. They’ll get pictures. And most importantly, they’ll walk out with their degrees.

My nephew will be graduating from college on Saturday. It will be fun to celebrate his achievement and enjoy the day. I’m happy for him. I’m grateful too that I had my own chance to attend and earn a degree.

—Just what the doctor ordered. I got a headache the other day. It came on all of sudden. I’ve had migraines in the past so I don’t like to play around with headaches. I took a Tylenol right away to get rid of it. And sure enough, thanks to the power of modern medicine, my headache soon went away.

Healthcare and the high costs that come with it never seem to be far from the news. I can’t speak to that, but I’m grateful for the power of a little thing called acetaminophen.

—Thanks Mom. Of course, I’m grateful for my mom, my wife, and mother’s everywhere. I feel lucky that I’ll get to spend some time with my mother on Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day.

What gave me a smile?

Our perception of height and size oftentimes get skewed. A few times over the years, I’ve visited the Empire State Building or One World Trade Center in New York City. I’ve heard stories about the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, standing at 2,717 feet.

They’re imposing buildings. Their size, influence, and significance are front and center.

And then you have Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The stately red brick building with a white steeple is no match for modern-day skyscrapers. What Independence Hall lacks in size though, it makes up for in scope and importance. The old building is a symbol of American independence and democracy. It’s the site where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated, adopted, and signed.

The Second Continental Congress convened in Independence Hall on May 10, 1775, shortly after the start of the American Revolutionary War. The founding fathers took a series of actions from that date until 1781. They:

• Established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as the commander in chief.
• Pursued a peaceful resolution with King George, drafting the Olive Branch Petition.
• Declared Independence, voting to adopt a resolution for independence on July 2, 1776 and two days later approved the Declaration of Independence.

• Adopted the Articles of Confederation which served as the First Constitution of the U.S.
• Secured an alliance with France.

And to think it all started on this date 250 years ago.

All images by Pexels.