Graduation Day

University of San Francisco commencement, Dec. 14, 2012

There's something to be said for traditional ceremonies. Walking into the stately cathedral at USF Friday afternoon with others in my cohort, wearing the Master's robes and accepting my diploma (the real one was mailed earlier that week) was an important rite of passage. There have been several in this process--from receiving my acceptance letter almost three years ago to finishing my coursework in May and turning in the final revision of my thesis manuscript in mid-August. 

The latter experience was rather anti-climactic, although my partner Kristen celebrated my success in spades. Now graduation and the conferment of a graduate degree--my MFA in Writing--feels official. And how sweet it was to see my 9-year-old niece, Brooke, waving her hand-drawn "congratulations" banner, as I exited the church. She's an awesome combination of creative, smart, clever and sweet and I can't wait to see who she grows up to become. I'm sure someday I'll be waving my own banner as she wears the cap!