Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.

––Susan B. Anthony

People will frighten you about a graduation.... They use words you don’t hear often... “And we wish you Godspeed.” It is a warning, Godspeed. It means you are no longer welcome here at these prices.

––Bill Cosby

The wit of a graduate student is like champagne. Canadian champagne.

––Robertson Davies

It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days.

––Isabel Waxman

You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it.

––John Updike

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

––Aristotle

Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated.

––Garry Trudeau

The trouble with learning from experience is that you never graduate.

––Doug Larson

Your families are extremely proud of you. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money.

––Gary Bolding

(Each week this column features quotations gleaned from the readings and experiences of our editors, reporters, readers, and friends. All are invited to submit quotations for inclusion here. They may be sent to Gleanings, c/o The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470 or emailed to editor@thebee.com.)