Graduation season is coming to a close, just as graduation is the closing of one chapter and the opening of a completely new one. Whether you are graduating from middle school, high school, college, or a postgraduate program, new and exciting things are upon you. Graduations are special because they are much-needed reflections in the busy and hectic continuum of our lives. We are so preoccupied with our own lives that we often lose the chance to stop and enjoy the moment.

Graduations are so interesting because they are the fusions of two phases of our lives; one you are about to let go of, and one you are about to begin. In one sense, you are in this place of complete certainty and familiarity, but at the same time, you are tentative and unsure of these amazing and new opportunities ahead of you.

Change is always difficult, and a bit unnerving, but it will come no matter how much we want to hold onto our status quo. People each handle change differently; some so anxious to move on, some truly content in the current moment, and some desperately trying to slow everything down. Graduation is often a combination of all of these feelings and emotions amplified during that special night when everyone comes together.

Graduations wouldn’t be complete without the infamous graduation speeches that constitute about ninety percent of the whole ceremony, yet as boring as they are-- especially after the fourth one-- they are often real words of wisdom to live by. They each pretty much attempt to prepare you for the future ahead of you, remind you of the past behind you, and encourage you to live more fully in the moment around you.

If you think about it, there is really no other point in our lives in which we receive that much advice and support all in one night. However, even though graduations mark the end of school, the importance of reflection should continue throughout your life no matter what you are doing. The big milestones like graduations tend to be the most exciting, but the little moments in between the milestones are often even more special.

Graduations can be cliché and redundant, but they instruct you on one of life’s greatest lessons, which is to appreciate and cherish every moment of your life. Reflection should always be a part of your life, even after you've moved your tassel from one side of the cap to the other. Congrats to all the 2016 graduates, and truly relish in this moment now.