The end or just the beginning?
It's no surprise that the word commencement comes from the French word that means beginning.

This month's high school and college graduation ceremonies mark both an ending and a beginning for those receiving diplomas. The giddy ex-students are probably happiest about the ending- glad to be done with final exams and glad to be done with classes.

Now for the next set of challenges.

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life" is the old saw that comes to mind. You can bet it's being repeated in graduation speeches everywhere because nothing up until now even compares with the transition that these young men and women will go through once the cap and gown are turned in. One day they're kids at home, the next day they're adults facing a world of responsibility. Talk about having to grow up overnight. Talk about having your future in front of you.

Some of the sons and daughters travel 3,000 miles to a college far away and never miss a beat. Others will cocoon at home for another year or two while they make the choices that are best for them.

There's only one thing we know for sure, that no single path is right for everybody and there's no single formula that can guarantee success.

True, the brightest and the hungriest are the most likely to succeed. But there's also a lot of luck involved and more than just a little bit of risk. Seniors: It's better to try and fail than never to have tried at all.

Beginnings are fresh and unspoiled, full of hope and promise. Teens who struggled in the confines of high school have a chance to wipe the slate clean. Those at the head of the class can excel even further.

If you're the parent of a graduating senior, congratulations on a job well done. It's not easy suffering through the ups and downs of a child's education. And through it all some things never change, such as, "Mom? Dad? Can I borrow some (more) money?"

Stayed tuned for next week as the Simi Valley Acorn begins its coverage of local high school graduations.