On March 22nd, Greta Pike, who grew-up at Church of the Pilgrims, graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in psychology. Greta had a great experience at OSU: she became a highly regarded "RA", did really well in her demanding academic schedule, made friends, and worked multiple jobs to help pay for school, including work in a inclusion day care. Greta had an amazing college career. But Greta accomplished this journey without the physical presence of her parents. Since Greta started Ohio State, both her parents have died. While this graduation was a joyous time, it was another marking point for Greta of life without parents.

Greta's story was very alive for me during the ceremony as I listened to the best graduation speaker I've ever heard. Dr. Yvette McGee Brown, graduate of OSU Law and now President of Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Children's Hospital in Columbus, was the speaker. Dr. Brown started off by setting her life context: she was born to a single mom and grew up with her mom and grandmother. But Dr. Brown's mom never let her life circumstances define her future. As Greta's life walked through my mind during the graduation, I heard Dr. Brown offer these words of wisdom:

• Vocation is Latin for "calling" which is the same as finding your voice. Dr. Brown didn't know what she wanted to do at the age of 22, but she knew she wanted to do something that impacted the space she was in on this Earth.
• Dr. Brown urged the graduates to be significant rather than successful.
  
• Excellence (as in the significant kind) demands dependence upon others.
• Keep you eye on the moral compass; always work to find your voice in the world.

Half way through the speech, I looked over at Diana Bruce, another church member who made the trip to Columbus, and said, "I love this speaker!" Diana agreed. Seconds later we both got a text from Greta, "I really like this speaker."

Life didn't work like clock-work for Dr. Brown. Life hasn't worked like clock-work for Greta either. I have Greta in this blog to honor her grief work, her resilence, her vision to be a pediatric physical therapist that will involve getting a PhD., her love for her younger brother, Jonathan, and her courageous capacity to be herself throughout the past five years. I have no doubt that Greta will be significant, she will continue to depend on others and stengthen her moral compass through that dependence, and she will find her place and space on this Earth. Way to go, Greta.