Hmmm... yes, in a sense, you had to be there Saturday night, but maybe I can begin to convey.
Mary Ann ... her advisor said she just wasn't raised to call her that, it had to be Ms/Miz BRidges. She graduated - having started with working towards her GED, and then to developmental courses, and all the way through. It wasn't a nicely paved route, either; she had some tough (even harsh) teachers... but this is a lady who quite seriously sees the good and brings out the good in others. I thought those people had to be manipulators - but she doesn't manipulate. She just invokes the Holy Spirit in whatever way will work for that situation - and she doesn't take charge. If it doens't come out the way she wants... welp, you just praise Jesus and keep moving forward, and learn what you can from it. You don't put on a *show* of praise to hide your disappointment... embrace it and turn it over and all that stuff that sounds trite until you watch somebody actually do it.
Things to learn from it, eh? Not to focus on other peoples' measures of anything you are doing; to focus on what you are learning and how you are growing,a nd to learn from the mean people, too, and see if you can understand them and love them, find a way, somehow. I *can't* learn the amazing skills in making *everybody* in that room feel welcomed and loved and comfortable. I can learn to "go for it" and not be afraid of failing... and that isn't just in the kinds of obvious competitive type situations. (I suppose someone horribly uncomfortable with Christianity might not have been comfortable at that little celebration.)
so KEEP ON TRYING!