a PhD poem

I found out today that I have been accepted into a PhD program. 

So I bought a ring.

It is actually an old spoon. 

An old spoon that has been shaped into a ring.

It is one of the most inspiring pieces of art I’ve seen in ages.

It is dented.

It is old and reminds me of my grandmother stirring her tea.

It has an impression of a rose on it.

And it is tarnished--reminiscent of the days when “go tarnish the silver” meant something to every female under the roof.

It has been repurposed into a delightful little piece of jewelry.

If not, it may have ended up in a dump somewhere. 

Or worse. Maybe tucked away neglected in a drawer. Or left to hang on a wall for decades in a decrepit home.

Or maybe if it was lucky, it could have existed on a thrift store shelf for several years.

I told my boys what my ring was in its past, and they were in awe. 

They were more in awe of my ring than of my announcement about my acceptance.

And Myles said, “Do you think people actually used that spoon?”

“Yes, undoubtedly.”

“That’s so gross!”

“Gross? Why?”

“Imagine the mouths that thing has been inside, that’s just nasty.”

“It’s not the mouthpiece anyway. Nevermind.”

Nevertheless.

I will wear it proudly. 

I may not take it off for quite some time.

Maybe I will take it off when I finally earn the PhD.

Which will take me four years.

If I’m lucky.

I will be re-entering the world of academia.

For four years.

And I am thrilled that I get to do what I love most for the next four years.

I get to read. I get to research. I get to study. I get to listen to brilliant thinkers. I get to discuss. I get to try out some ideas on other people. I get to think. And write. And create.

I will wear my ring as a reminder of my gratitude for an opportunity to do something I never even dared to dream of in the past... I will wear it as a reminder of the potential that each of us has if we only dare to re-imagine our purpose. I will wear it to keep me rooted in the knowledge that we are all deeply loved by our creator...who reshapes us constantly out of our sinful nature into the humans he designed us to be.