still feeling the love

 on saturday, as we waited, in two long lines, side by side,
to process to the stage,
with the cold wind billowing our robes,
there was a moment when
 my heart swelled with love.

i sat on the stage, as an alum, as a parent and as a trustee.
being present on saturday is something i will hold dear
for the rest of my life.

my beloved earlham college is a special place.

 it is hard to put into words what earlham is really all about
(right jamie?)
but commencement provided a snapshot of the magic.
some folks in gorgeous african robes,
grandparents with eyes filled with pride,
 friends, some holding balloons,
people in wheelchairs,  parents grinning from ear to ear,
folks wrapped in blankets  and quilts against the cold wind.
babes in the arms of young men and women,
rocking gently at the edges of the audience.
the flags of many nations, flapping wildly in the gusts,
honoring our international students.
the grads, keenly aware that they were gathered together one last time...

and the music!

and the words!


especially these,
joanna "gypsy" swanger's
baccalaureate address.


and, oh, the silence....
deep and true.