Denzel Washington just gave an incredible commencement speech at New Orleans' Dillard University. His main advice for the graduates? "Put God first in everything you do."
"You are about to be surprised little lady. My tirade I am about to have right here, well, it is not one in which you will be put in your place and reminded to be respectful."
"We don’t talk about the day she’ll go to her first dance, or get a driver’s license, or go to college. Or about her getting married, or becoming a mom, or what kind of home she wants to own."
"With the recent announcement of my third pregnancy, I’ve received a surprising number of folks in shock. Of note, aside from the speechless faces and mouths agape, I’ve heard a particular phrase way more than I expected..."
"I was, admittedly, nervous that having a child might throw some of that off-kilter—that, perhaps, adding another human being in the mix might strain our connection and closeness. And you know what? It did."
"Listen, mamas — you can be both the momma who doesn’t want to blink, but who still freakin’ blinks because she needs those brief breaks from her empowering yet fatiguing journey as a life guide for her children."
It was that tense, harried persona that was the norm for a busy, chaotic life. My four-year-old had come up behind me quietly, and I didn’t even realize she was there until she spoke. “Just breathe, Mom.”
