I walk on Friday night. The dissertation is being bound (I found mistakes today). I need to pick up regalia. Family will be in town this week. We are planning a celebration. It will be a pretty awesome and super busy week.

But amidst the celebration and the joy is this overwhelming sense of loss. I have been grieving the death of an identity that I’ve had for over 30 years – student. That doesn’t mean that I will stop learning. I will quite an identity that I have had most of my life.

Graduation will be fun. The Dr. before my name will be weird, but I am sure I will get use to it. The death of an identity always brings about life in a new one.

Although the new one will be fun, it’s still wise to grieve and celebrate the old one.