Veni, vidi, vici...

Approximately 4yrs ago I was rearing the end of my extra-ordinary high school education at QCS. At my commencement ceremony I was honored with the privilege of sharing a few words to bid the class of 2006 fair well. If I only knew how fast the years would fly by.  And tonight as I looked through my life's accouterments : approximately 2 1/2 tattered suitcases, two medium-sized plastic bins, and a miniature pile of bits of this and  pieces of that, that I've collected within the past 7-8 years.

As I scanned through my belongings,surprisingly cached in the folds of a journal I had assembled long ago  I was greeted by these very words I had shared on May 10,2006. (Fortunately I had  neatly hand-written this speech on wide ruled paper )  . It  began like this:

"      Board members, faculty,staff, parents, honored guests, and class mates. When I was asked to say something today, I immediately got  nervous, (still nervous now) Everyone around me was willing to help and give me advice, but at the same time I felt that what I eventually would say ,wouldn't live up to the  expectations that so many had for me and that frightened me. 

      

And when I started thinking about it, I realized in that in the following year I will be placed in a position where I ultimately  have the power to do whatever I want, no parents,no real control, no supervision- I will be tested in ways I've never even imagined. My perseverance, my determination, my adaptability, my beliefs- All that I hold close to my heart will be examined.

      

Am I worried? afraid? nervous? ( ofcourse)  My stomach turns just as I think of it. But,should I be worried? What am I ultimately afraid of? I think I am afraid of myself, afraid of believing in myself. I had heard this poem by Marianne Williamson about a year ago, It came to my mind as I thought of this. Here it is:

'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others'

 Fear and I got pretty close.. But as I read this poem and my family and friends reminded me of who I am in God, my identity as His image on earth. (I guess you could say )I felt empowered but at the same reinforced that I am on a journey of self-discovery.

When I began this school year , I honestly didn't know what to expect. Our class of over 21 was down to 12 people, and later on 10, the situation outside of these walls was progressively getting worse- Haiti had repeatedly discouraged me. It got harder and harder to see the sunshine through the rain 

Thank God, I had the opportunity of visiting more of my country this year. (Seguin, Il a vache etc) After Seguin I saw that God still moves in Haiti. Yes, the people of the land were blindly mistreating it, but amidst of all the destruction and deforestation- I saw beauty beyond compare. I saw a little bit of what my country used to be and what it can be.

We the class of 2006 are like Haiti in some ways We have been tested and tried, at times the situations that encompass us tried to drown us. But we are still beautiful. We've come to shine unconsciously- Through out this school year- I've really noticed that. The kids of our school really look up to us. For reasons I'm still learning to comprehend.

And now the class of 2006:

I'm sure we are all looking forward to the next steps of our lives, but I now fear has tried to blind our vision, and we shouldn't let it because God has not given us a spirit of fear but of strength and sound mind. We mus continue inspire, continue to liberate others...

But all I can say for now is  Veni, Vidi, Vici... WE CAME, WE SAW , WE CONQUERED!