Today

Today, I will be the first person in my entire family to have ever attained a college degree.  This extends beyond my parents, and includes aunts, uncles, grandparents, and anyone else with even remotely similar genes.  While today the eyes will lie on me, it belongs to those whom have sacrificed so much to have even made this opportunity fathomable.  Today belongs to the ancestors that gave up everything they knew to venture to a new land, seeking opportunity.  It belongs to my caring grandparents, those both dead and alive, who turned this opportunity into excellence.  And most of all, it belongs to my parents, the tireless protectors that have given me every emotional and physical need I could have ever dreamed of.  So while in an hour or so, “James Robert Lago” will be projected from the speakers, the credit belongs to those who go unannounced. 

90% of where I am today is because of someone else.  I cannot help but feel selfish to be the sole receiver of credit, when in fact I don’t deserve even a sliver of that which has been given to me.  I didn’t choose to enroll in a top-notch school system on my own accord.  I certainly did not come into this world with the belief that compassion trumps ignorance, or that learning is never complete.  My parents have gone above and beyond the standard requirements in raising a child, and have told me time and time again how proud they are.  I couldn’t have asked for a more caring and devoted set of role models, and I’m not sure that anyone in this entire world will ever be as lucky as I have been in that regard.

They cheered and supported me through countless football practices, school concerts, sick days, days of sorrow, and days of hope.  They smiled with me after victory, and taught me to be resilient through moments of failure.  They reminded me that there is always tomorrow to achieve that which could not be had today.  They each worked two or three jobs to make my life enjoyable, and contrary to what they may believe, I saw the insurmountable obstacles they battled.  The overwhelming majority of the lessons they taught me were through action, not spoken word.  Life was not always kind to their ambitions, but when hardship arose, they buckled down and charged forward.  It’s hard to imagine that in addition to the investment they put into myself and my sister, there were additional external struggles they had to battle.  The reason this is so hard to believe, is because they did so flawlessly, without reluctance or complaint.

Four years ago, they stood with me as I received my first college acceptance letter.  Last year, they saw me off to four months of unparalleled adventure and excitement in Europe.  Today, they live with me through the proudest moment of my life.  They’ve collectively leapt across oceans and ran through fire to hand the torch to me for an easy stroll to the finish line.  While I may be the one to cross the line, the difficulty of my run is nothing in relation to the progress achieved in theirs.  Congratulations Mom and Dad.  You did it.