I distinctly remember the day we ushered our first son off to college and a life of his own making. I remember descending our staircase, his luggage in hand, past countless photos of love, of growth, of adventure, of a life together. I paused on the landing, just long enough to reflect. How many times had some presently urgent professional matter, had exhaustion or preoccupation or selfishness, had triviality and nonsense, stolen so many more moments away from our children? What if these photographic memories were but a fraction of what could have been?
Summer is a perfect time for reflection. It also happens to be the perfect defense against what ifs. This summer I challenge you to flop on the ground and assemble those Legos into form, science, imagination. Be a princess for your daughters, a noble steed for your sons. Stay too long in the pool, or up too late. Eat all that stuff some new study says is bad for you. Race around the yard in a make-shift superman cape. Learn how to make balloon animals. Begin dinner with ice cream. Let your pillow fights spill out into the living room. Get muddy, really muddy. Play, play, play. Above all, laugh and hug and embrace every moment with your children. Your future staircases await. Let them resound with joy over regret.
We say goodbye now, as every year we do, to long time families, to colleagues and friends, to children so very close to our hearts. We wish you all Godspeed and happiness. Wherever you are destined to land, may it be on your feet and in good spirits. To those returning, we wish you safe travels, frivolity, and a ridiculous number of pillow fights.
See you around campus...soon enough!