Congratulations are in order.
To the young adults graduating high school this week. Well done!
Are you old enough to remember where you were four years ago? What your expectations and hopes were? What you feared and what gave you a sense of purpose? Were you humbled or pleasantly surprised along the way?
Did you collect any bumps and bruises along the way and did they leave scars—reminders that some obstacles and setbacks are temporary though at the moment they may have seemed insurmountable?
What you have done to get from there to here is an accomplishment. Hopefully it is one of many in what will be a long, healthy and happy life.
But the accomplishment is not your own. You may have studied and worked harder than anyone taught you, you may have been your own cheerleader and boss encouraging and demanding that you keep moving forward without quitting.
Yes, you were the one who went to class, took the tests, passed what needed passing and jumped through the hoops in front of you. But there has always been someone along the way, seen or unseen, known or a stranger, that has done their small part to get you where you are today. Whether it was an encouraging word, a kind gesture, a silent vote of confidence, a source of inspiration or a grand display of helping, there has always been someone who helped us get where we need going.
You have benefited from those moments of kindness and humanity. As you enter this next phase of development it now becomes your turn to be of service to others (though maybe you have already been).
Despite what some extremists might tell you we don’t get through this life alone.
When you can, be strong, be supportive and be kind. Four days or four years from now it may make a difference in the life of someone you care about or that of a stranger.
Remember where you were four years ago? Where do you think you will be four years from now? How many people will have helped you along the way and how many people will you have served?
Good luck.
