While sipping chrysanthemum tea, my Aunt, a Buddhist and a spiritual woman I admire, gave me something to ponder. I would like to share that morsel of brilliance with you.

There’s a reason why the scholars of old named graduation “commencement” —the annual pomp and circumstance where, at least in the USA, graduates adorn themselves with frilly frocks and grab a piece of paper that cost about 100,000+ US smacker$.

My aunt enlightened me; she imparted that “commencement” means “the beginning.”

I’ll give you an etymology lesson in one sentence. The word commencement comes from the verb “to commence,” which synonymously means “to begin.”

Wow, I’ve watched countless YouTube videos of commencement speeches where the speakers stress that graduation “is only the beginning,” but, damn, I’ve never put two and two together until now.

So this week, my friends, I leave you with this sweet, little revelation:

Commencement = The Beginning

Literally.