Over the past month, plenty of people have asked me, "So, how does it feel?" or something similar. My response was invariably, "It hasn't quite hit me yet."
The moment when it did hit me, though: when everyone walked in and "Pomp and Circumstance" started playing. If only somehow they could stretch the awe from that moment throughout the entire ceremony rather than just a single blast of it at the beginning.
I don't have any words of wisdom or commencement speeches of my own to share, but I do have this link to Steve Jobs' commencement speech, one of my favorite speeches ever given. Here it is in text and video form.
Finally, some words from Mister Rogers:
"So many people have helped me to come here to this night. Some of you are here, some are far away and some are even in Heaven. All of us have special ones who loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are, those who cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life. 10 seconds, I'll watch the time. Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made."