In my preparations for graduation, I have come to realize that I am not making a big enough deal out of this. Ironically, it's for the same reason I have heard from people going into a second marriage. Mind you, not everyone shares this sentiment, but I have heard it enough to pose this question:

Why is it that the second chance is always downplayed?

I know that the fear of failure is always in the back of people's minds, also that the second "whatever" is testament to the fact that the first time didn't work out as planned.

Finally finishing my BA at the tender age of 32 is bittersweet. While I am thrilled that this day has come, and I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish — in spite of life's curveballs, there is a rather large part of me that wishes my mother didn't ask me to buy announcements, wasn't flying in for the ceremony, and that I didn't have to buy the commencement garb.

Thank goodness for those people who more or less make you celebrate the good times. Otherwise, not taking advantage of celebrating one of my biggest accomplishments — and certainly one of the happier milestones of my life — might in fact have turned out to be one of my biggest regrets. Celebrate the second time. Celebrate the third, fifth, ninth time. Just celebrate for Pete's sake. Be happy in the moment, and for the moment. Rejoice in the fact that you have another chance to be happy in life. I know I will.