I hope you’ve noticed in today’s edition we’ve published the 2016 Graduation special section.

This special section chronicles the achievements of years of hard work for students in Oxford, Lafayette and Water Valley high schools. These students should be commended for their dedication to earning a high school diploma, and we salute and applaud them for this accomplishment.

The special section was a labor of love designing and putting together. It was certainly a team effort with stories and content. I can’t thank Rick Addy enough for providing us with individual pictures of each graduate. I pray that every student who walks across the stage at the Tad Pad to receive a diploma did not mistakenly get omitted from our special section and hope each name is spelled correctly.

While I was placing each individual picture on the pages, I couldn’t help but think how great it would have been if a similar special section would have been done when I was in high school. And how fortunate we are to live in a community where accomplishments like this are noted and praised through the local newspaper.

Going through row after row of names and photos tends to get your mind wandering and mine certainly did as I thought back on my high school years — so long ago — and that feeling the last couple weeks of my senior year.

It’s kind of a “dead week” for the graduates as they prepare for their big day; family coming in from out of town; all the parties to attend to see friends you’ve spent some of the best years of your life with. Some of those friends you may never see again, while others you will stay close with for hopefully the rest of your life. Regardless, one thing you will always have in common is completing high school together.

I know I have some very dear friends to this day that I’ve known since eighth grade. Several of them are as close as family. We shared a great deal together, good times and bad.

We just celebrated our 30th year since graduation a couple years ago and are looking forward to what has become our annual get together in October.

So I personally commend you for reaching your goal, graduates. I hope you had the chance to enjoy your high school years and made some friendships that will last a lifetime. But remember that this is a beginning and not an ending.

Rob Sigler is managing editor of The Oxford EAGLE. Contact him at rob.sigler@oxfordeagle.com.