I love this thought from Tim, I’m copying and pasting:

Well, ‘tis the season. Graduation is right around the corner for seniors at high schools and colleges. It’s that time when we celebrate the milestone of completing a phase of life requiring both performance and consistency—from faculty, staff and students.

But what does our celebration reveal about us?

We live in a day of “feast or famine.” Some of our parent population over-celebrate too many things, including graduation. We give them ribbons for participation on teams and tell them they’re amazing for putting their spoon in the dishwasher. While I love celebrating kids, sometimes it can backfire.

When adults over-celebrate everything, the meaning of the milestone evaporates. If we use the word “awesome” for everything, somehow the few things in life that are truly awesome to experience, require hyperbole. Plus, the milestones in life that genuinely deserve our celebration get lost in the crowd.

What if this year, we determined to celebrate the stuff that really matters: the grit our students showed in order to graduate; the marriage that made ten years—not just the wedding; the parenting that went into a successful student—not just the birth of a baby. We must never stop celebrating … but let’s celebrate the right stuff