Quote: Rory Gilmore's Graduation Speech

Headmaster Charleston, faculty members, fellow students, family and friends, welcome. We never thought this day would come. We prayed for its quick delivery, crossed days off our calendars, counted hours, minutes, and seconds, and now that it's here, I'm sorry it is because it means leaving friends who inspire me and teachers who have been my mentors - so many people who have shaped my life and my fellow students' lives impermeably and forever.

I live in two worlds.

One is a world of books. I’ve been a resident of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina and strolled down Swann’s Way. It’s a rewarding world, but my second one is by far superior.

My second one is populated with characters slightly less eccentric, but supremely real, made of flesh and bone, full of love, who are my ultimate inspiration for everything. Richard and Emily Gilmore are kind, decent, unfailingly generous people. They are my twin pillars, without whom I could not stand. I am proud to be their grandchild. But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend, the dazzling woman from whom I received my name and my life’s blood, Lorelai Gilmore.

My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn’t do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be. She filled our house with love and fun and books and music unflagging in her efforts to give me role models from Jane Austen to Eudora Welty to Patti Smith. As she guided me through these incredible eighteen years, I don’t know if she ever realized that the person I most wanted to be was her.

Thank you, Mom. You are my guidepost for everything.

~ Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore's Graduation Speech, Gilmore Girls season 3 episode 22: Those Are Strings, Pinocchio

I always found it interesting that Rory's entire speech wasn't show because as she was continuing with her speech, it cut to another scene. This was just the beginning of her Valedictorian speech where she first started out expressing love and gratitude to her family, it would have been interesting to know what was included in the rest of her speech. However, what was shown was still inspiring but I'm sure the rest of the speech was providing a lot of encouraging words for all the graduates in preparing for their next stage in their lives.

(Gilmore Girls season 3 episode 22: Those Are Strings, Pinocchio)