Of Sunrises and Speeches

I watched the sunrise today. It was perfect: the clouds were the long, stringy kind that look like stretched out cotton balls on construction paper. They were vibrantly lit with brilliant pinks, oranges, and yellows, and the air was a comfortable not too hot, not too cold temperature. The whole ambiance of the moment was so perfect, I had to just take a moment and be grateful that I had witnessed something as ordinary as a sunrise.
Moments like this have been happening a lot lately. I guess it's because my high school career is quickly coming to a close. I feel almost a desperation to do everything I've ever wanted to do in high school, so I'm trying to enjoy every moment I have left.
Why is it that I'm suddenly feeling especially grateful, optimistic, and joyful now? Why can't I live like this all the time? I know that part of my new attitude probably comes from the swiftly approaching deadline of graduation. But just like how I have a deadline on my high school career, I also have a deadline on my life. I've only got one shot to make the best of what I've got. That should be reason enough for me to make every moment count, not just every moment of my senior year.
Commencement speeches give us an opportunity to reflect on these ideas. Graduation will be a celebration of what we've accomplished, but it will also be a chance for a discussion of our regrets and resolutions. Since life will continue after graduation, we will get a chance to keep the resolutions we make and be a little better every day. With the deadline on our lives, however, there will be no second chances. We've got one shot. That's why commencement speeches are so important. They wake us up a little and remind us, in the words of David Foster Wallace, that "This is water. This is water." They remind us to recognize the good in our lives every single day.  This will be our "job of a lifetime. And it commences now"
I hope that as an ERW class, we will take advantage of the opportunities that have been given us and commence our journey in recognizing the life-giving water that surrounds us all.