BY : DR. AMSH SAIF, M.B.B.S., BATCH XVIII.
Distinguished Guests, Faculty, beloved Family, Friends and finally my Fellow Graduates. Good morning and As Salaam Alaikum.
Time is a slippery thing isn’t it?
It passes so very slowly if you’re aware of its presence, and all too quickly if you’re unaware of it !
It seemed only Yesterday, that the emerald envelope was delivered to us. How our trembling hands undid the seal; the frantic way we weaved through line after line of text, and the wave of relief that washed over us as the word ‘accepted’ came into focus.
I’m sure we can all recall the glaze of sweat that coated our palms, the numerous butterflies fluttering about in our stomach, and the deep breath we took to still our frantic heart; when we first stepped foot into Ziauddin.
It was a chance to start afresh.
I for one, decided an image change was an order so I let my hair grow out obnoxiously long and attempted to sprout the most awful goatee imaginable. Needless, to say it wasn’t my best idea.
I had anticipated all the rigorous studying that lay ahead, but never in my wildest dreams had I imagined the fun we would have together on the numerous beach trips, bake sales and talent shows. At one point I even found myself crossdressing as a woman and dancing about on stage. Once again, not my best idea !!
The long journey we undertook together has brought us to the same destination; however, each individual’s path was unique. Some of us discovered strength we never knew we had; others learned about their shortcomings, and how to overcome them. Some made friends who quickly became inseparable. Some even found the person with whom they would spend the rest of their life with; and then there were those who gained a few too many pounds, pigging out at the cafeteria.
Regardless, each of us at one point were faced with walls that seemed insurmountable. Whether it was extracting a tooth, learning various brand names for medication, the intricacies of speech, the extensive research required for a film, or even something as simple as measuring blood pressure.
We worked, we laughed, we cried, we suffered and we struggled; but in the end, we scaled those daunting walls. And today we stand here; not only as individuals, but united as The Class of 2017.
Surrounding us are the Members of Faculty whom we terrorized on a daily basis. I can only imagine the amount of Panadols they consumed to soothe the numerous headaches we no doubt induced. How they managed to put up with us, I’ll never know.
However, they stuck with us through thick and thin. It seems the faculty was insistent on imparting their wealth of wisdom onto us. They often reminded us that we would all soon graduate one way or another, and that the responsibility of tending to people in need would squarely fall upon our shoulders. It was constant motivation like that, which pushed us to be our very best.
We are also very fortunate to be in the midst of our loved ones. Those extraordinary individuals who, when things seemed most dire, helped us find the will to pick ourselves up. They had an uncanny ability to somehow pull a sliver of hope out of nothingness.
In my case: my Mother, also doubled as the world’s greatest alarm clock. One without a snooze button.
It was the little things they did that managed to keep us going and for that we are forever thankful.
Not to dampen the mood, but things aren’t going to get any easier. However, when in doubt I’m sure the skills and the knowledge we cultivated here together will be a steadfast ally and never lead us astray.
We are once again, on the precipice of a new beginning.
Time quickly turns the present into the past. As we continue to forge a path forward we must not forget to look back and see the trail we left behind. I’m sure we’ll all fondly remember the years we spent together; the friends we made, and the lessons we learnt.
Standing before you, reminiscing about days long past really is really quite bittersweet.
I would like to close by offering my deepest gratitude to Ziauddin University and with the heaviest of hearts, I now say goodbye.
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