Ad usum: The Best Graduation Speech Ever

I've got a lot of siblings. They have a lot of degrees. I've been to a lot of graduations.

But the best graduation speech I've ever heard, I heard last week ('cause Amanda is a rockstar). And when I say the best, I mean--like if I did tattoos--I'd get a tattoo for this speech.

I loved it because it wasn't pure ego-stroke, like most graduation speeches. He acknowledged the efforts of the graduates, but he also drew attention to their luck. Yes, they had succeeded at an opportunity at education, but many others would've succeeded had they also been given the chance. And they had seized their opportunity, but like God and Spider-man remind us all, there's also something required of us for doing so.  (FYI, he didn't say that last bit, that's just what I heard)

He then talked about the idea of "possessing a degree" in the light of religious poverty. Monks are taught to write "ad usum" in each of their books and in every article of clothing. "Ad usum" means "for use"--they did not own their books, their toothbrushes, their shirts. They were given them to use, but they did not own them.

I'd rock that tattoo 

They were being trained that we all live at the mercy of Providence, even extending to their earthly possessions. Nothing was truly theirs to abuse or cherish as they willed,  because nothing is really "ours" for any of us. We all live day to day, breath to breath, unable to demand, or give away, even one more.

The opportunity to learn for any one of us has been gifted to us by circumstance, fate, or God. And it is  just one constellation in a universe of gifts. Our education is not a possession to be hoarded, guarded and prized, but our education is a gift to be used--"ad usum."

Unfortunately, that's all I remember of the excellent speech, and pretty much the entire ceremony. Well...that's not quite true. I also remembered that there's a member of the Humanities faculty that apparently received her doctorate from Beauxbatons.

 I mean, who could forget something that cool?

But I just thought the bits I do remember were so lovely, that I wanted to share it, even if I couldn't remember much. We are not the owners of our circumstances, but the stewards.

-Stephanie