This weekend brought an embarrassment of riches to an already lucky guy. I celebrated a milestone birthday in good health, cherished my wife and my mother on Mother's Day, and saw my first born child graduate with honors from Duke University in North Carolina. Some weekend.  The first two occasions come to everyone who manages to stay vertical, but the last was a source of unalloyed pride and joy.

For what they charge up there in Durham to educate your kid, I expected some pretty high caliber speechifying and I wasn't disappointed. President Richard Brodhead delivered an address at the baccalaureate ceremony that managed to inspire without preaching.  Author Barbara Kingsolver (Poisonwood Bible) gave the keynote speech which lectured a bit strenuously on global warming considering the occasion, but delivered some real wisdom nonetheless. But the most brilliant speech I've heard in years was the sermon given  at the gorgeous Duke Chapel by the Reverend Dr. Sam Wells.  This one has pithy quotes from  the likes of St. Augustine and Oscar Wilde. It's definitely worth a read.