“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”  (John Dewey, American Philosopher, 1859-1952)

Over the past few weeks, Bleu has had the opportunity to join in some of the most important celebrations of the year.  While the honorees and audiences have been varying and quite diverse, there has been a common thread that’s run through all of them…education.

With the youngest, which included completion of the very first semester of preschool and a Kindergarten graduation, there was ice cream, pizza, and a musical performance of rather catchy adolescent tunes.  Way to go, Ryleigh Rayne and Avery K.  You both ROCK!

There was also a graduation from high school and one from college.   While the former will soon be packing his bags to leave home on one of his biggest adventures to date, the other, with a need and desire to gain additional “real life” experience before beginning graduate school, has just loaded up his boxes to head back this way.   Congratulations, Kyle and Jake.  Regardless of your direction on I-35, you are both AMAZING!

While Kyle and Jake certainly have College Station and Aggie Pride in common, they both also have years of hard work and experience that vary from one another yet still far exceed those of the aforementioned three- and six-year-olds.  Nonetheless, included with each and every one of the four are huge accomplishments and aspirations for life’s next step.

Typically, people in this part of the country dare not mention an Aggie and a Longhorn in the same breath.  Still, this document on education would be incomplete without a “shout out” to our very own Jackie B and recognition of her recent accomplishments.  Even though she’s already earned her degree and is currently in graduate school, her walk across the UT stage just under six months ago still qualifies her as a “graduating senior”.  That, combined with her years of dedicated service to the alumni association while on campus, earned her the reward of a European trip from the Texas Exes.  She leaves this week for a month-long, whirlwind tour through nine countries across the continent.  We’re so PROUD of you, Jackie!  Just goes to show…it really does pay to be a good student.

Last but not least, we must mention the oldest and “wisest” of the bunch.  With more than a decade having passed since her completion of high school, and a lifetime of worldwide travels and experience behind her, she’s decided to re-embark on her quest for a college degree.  Whether the catalyst of her inspiration was the lack of privilege witnessed in countries she’s visited or the recent accomplishments of her very own Kindergarten graduate, her feat is no small one.  Congratulations, Belinda.  You are an INSPIRATION!

So, regardless of where each of these individuals currently resides within their educational journey, one thing remains certain…the most important thing is the pursuit…and, of course, the pizza.

“Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our own lives.”  (Mary Ann Brussat, Author)

Many times throughout this past year, Bleu has celebrated the “new”…new life, new love, new friendship.  We’ve honored new brides and new babies.  We’ve toasted new clients and new acquaintances.  We’ve welcomed new jobs and new homes.  We’ve given thanks and gratitude for each new day and the opportunities (and challenges!) they’ve brought with them.  We’ve shouted “hooray” for each new milestone and toasted those which still lie ahead.

And, we’re not alone.  “New”, after all, is what it’s all about these days.  It’s celebrated for its beauty and for its ability to bring with it both happiness and, perhaps even more importantly, hope.    

Who doesn’t love the smell of a new car or the feel of a new set of sheets when sliding into bed?  Who doesn’t like to show off a new haircut or a shiny new pair of shoes?  People stand in line for hours, even days, to watch a film that has been newly released or buy a book that has been newly published.  At the turn of each new season, we purchase all things new…new suits for swimming, new lunchboxes for school,  new coats for cold weather, and new color for the garden. 

Currently, there is even a national spirit of renewal…a movement towards new leadership and the change that is due to come with it.  Here again, “new” symbolizes growth and movement forward.       

Sometimes, however, the greatest and most treasured things are those which have stood the test of time…the things that are steadfast and true…the things that can be counted on, time and again, to weather the storm and withstand the frenzy of this thing we call life.

And today, Bleu is celebrating one of the greatest examples of just such a thing…a lifetime of love shared by two people.  And by “lifetime”, we mean 70 years. 

It was 1939.  Franklin D. Roosevelt was president of the United States.  The Spanish Civil War ended and World War II began.  That same year, John Steinbeck’s, The Grapes of Wrath, was first published.  Lou Gehrig played his 2,130 consecutive game and then, two months later, retired from the New York Yankees due to ALS.  The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind premiered at movie theaters.  And, Roger and Leila were married.

If you asked them today, they still remember clearly all of the little details…those things that make their love, and their journey together, special.  Roger remembers their first meeting and what it was that attracted him to Leila.  Leila remembers their first date and what it was that made Roger stand out from all the others.  Their life together has not always been easy; but, they will tell you, it has been blessed.  They have three children, seven grandchildren, five great grandchildren…and one on the way.

They can’t share with you the “secret” to a happy marriage.  They can tell you, however, what matters the most…love, loyalty, faith, and hard work.  (They’ll also tell you who really wears the pants in the family…depending on who you ask, however, the answer may differ just slightly.)  And at the end of the day, they’ll say, it really comes down to one thing…standing behind the commitments that you make. 

So, as much as we appreciate the things that are new, here’s to the celebration of those things that we also know to be true and good and real…and here’s to 70 years!