Today was supposed to be a blog about envy. It is half done, along with a half-done blog on resentment, and another half done one on denial. These are the remaining “challenge Killer” subjects, and I wrote on every one of them this evening. But, it’s just not there—there’s something else on my mind I have to write about, or I’ll never be able to finish that series.

What is on my mind is the passages of life. Things like births, christenings, baptisms, first communions, salvation decisions, graduations, weddings, deaths and funerals. These are all events where the windows of heaven are thrown open and we really know we’re made for things greater than ourselves. Tears flow; emotions are labile; we feel closer to our family and loved ones; the importance of jobs, houses, cars, money and power and prestige dim and pale in the overpowering essence of these moments. We all have a sense that for good or bad, we are designed to go through these passages of life, both with ourselves and with family and loved ones.

I’m fixed on this topic because of the life celebration for Jonnae that took place Sunday, a graduation I attended Sunday for my favorite niece, and the wedding of my youngest child this coming Saturday. These three events in such close proximity have made it tough to function and to think about only the next right thing in front of me.

What I want to suggest may sound strange but I hope not. I want to draw an analogy to the completion of a difficult transformation and some of these other life passages I just mentioned. I think that the people most likely to misunderstand are the very ones I am hoping will understand. They are the people who have not yet experienced the completion of a well-done transformation. At the end of a well-done transformation, whether you made it what you wanted or not, there are tears, fatigue, labile emotions, a sense of oneness with many people you hardly know, and a terrific sense of completeness. There’s also a sense that you did something that you could not have completed alone, something that took more power than you really had inside you.

Am I suggesting that a completed transformation is another genuine passage in life? Maybe I am. Certainly it has the right to be as important as making it through boot camp, or completing a particularly difficult course or certification. It is certainly an event that deserves to be recorded, celebrated, and remembered. And to the extent that you do those things, you will add value to your experience, and to the ability of your experience to inspire others.

At one time, EAS would send out a certificate of completion for each completed challenge. If they are still doing that I haven’t heard about it lately. They also sent out a red bracelet and a T shirt at various times. These are all insignificant in value by themselves, but to the person who received them for their accomplishment, they were quite valuable. Even if Abbott doesn’t continue the traditions, you owe it to yourself to do something to preserve the memory of your transformation. Take your photos and make a memory book out of them and your journal. Preserve the emotions you felt by making a lengthy ending entry in your journal. Make the most of this, because you do not know how much it may mean to you or someone else some day.