written by Jeremy Hawkins
As a university professor, I love graduation. It represents the culmination of years of hard work and it launches students into whatever comes next. In our most recent December commencement ceremony I enjoyed listening to Sonia Gutierrez share some thoughts as one of the commencement speakers. She is a remarkable individual who exemplifies resilience, dedication, and a strong commitment to her community. After successfully contributing to her family’s tortilla factory, she built a career in real estate and co-founded a concrete company. Alongside her professional achievements, Sonia actively serves her community, locally and at the state level. As part of the commencement ceremony, she added an Associate of Applied Science in Construction Technology: Supervision degree to her impressive resume.
Building Puzzles
During her commencement speech, Sonia shared the following analogy about a puzzle:
Life is so much like a puzzle–not something to solve, but rather something to assemble. Sometimes we search endlessly for one elusive piece, ignoring the progress we’ve made with others. Other times, we force pieces into the wrong places, knowing we’ll have to correct them later. And occasionally, everything falls into place effortlessly. Most of all, life teaches us to keep building, even when some pieces are missing, trusting they’ll eventually find their way in.
Facing Puzzles in My Own Life
This got me thinking about puzzle pieces in my own life. Experiences that felt like bothers in the moment because they failed to fit together nicely. One example occurred several years ago when I found myself unemployed. As I looked for a new job, I did everything I could to avoid moving my family but to no avail. The new job I obtained was in Illinois, halfway across the country, where we knew no one. To compound issues, we could not sell our home for what we bought it for. We were fortunate enough to short sale — but that meant we could not qualify for another home loan for 3 years. Despite all of these puzzle pieces not fitting together as we wanted them to, it was off to Illinois we went.
Discovering Blessings
We lived in Illinois for three years. By the end of our time there, we were able to see many blessings that had come from those bothersome puzzle pieces. Being so far from family was hard but the time and distance provided space for our family to grow closer together. Blessing number one. Because of the inability to purchase a home, we lived in a duplex next to some wonderful people we still receive Christmas cards from today. We were also in a neighborhood where our kids thrived in school. Blessing numbers two and three. During our time in Illinois, we came to appreciate the beauty of corn and soybean fields stretching as far as the eye can see and we discovered the magic of fireflies. Blessing numbers four and five. Further, the job I obtained afforded me experiences and growth opportunities that I likely could not have had with my previous employer. Blessing number six. Because of those experiences and growth opportunities, I obtained my current job, and since we didn’t own a home in Illinois, the move to Colorado was pretty easy. Being here has been a huge blessing. And I could go on.
Cherishing Every Piece
Coming back to Sonia’s speech. After sharing some life experiences of her own, she concluded her remarks with this:
What I have learned is this: You don’t have to put your puzzle together alone. Sometimes, it takes someone with a different perspective to help you see the picture more clearly. And it’s not about rushing to finish but cherishing every piece that brings it together.
I love that. Building our puzzles together with those around us and cherishing every piece that brings those puzzles together. What great counsel from a recent graduate. And something that rings so true to me. Isn’t that what life is about? Helping others and finding joy in our journey?
Looking at Your Puzzle Pieces
Think about your own story. Are there puzzle pieces or experiences that initially felt to be bothers but can now be counted as blessings? Were there times when you doubted your direction but kept building anyway, trusting that the pieces would fit together eventually? Have you ever had someone with a different perspective help you to see your story more clearly? What kind of things have helped you keep going, even when your puzzle has felt impossible? We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
