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Dear Class of 2020: An Open Letter to Graduates

Dear 2020 promotion:

I’ve seen the challenge from Facebook of posting our senior photos in support of you, but honestly, I don’t see how that will comfort you. It seems the exact opposite to me. It seems that we are putting it in your face that we have this experience and you do not. I would like to offer you something that I hope will plant seeds of inspiration for the future.

I’m sorry you are missing the events and rights of way. It sucks that you can’t have experiences that are considered characteristics of “growth,” like prom, walking graduation ceremonies, senior days absent, senior trips, and anything else. tradition given to seniors at your school. What sucks so much is that you’re missing out on school experiences for the last time – having lunch with your friends, those final projects and class days, and time with teachers and fellow students you didn’t know you were seeing. the last time life was abruptly interrupted by the coronavirus in March.

I have thought many times how devastating this would have been for me, especially if it had happened in my last semester before I graduated from college. That was one of the happiest moments of my life. I got engaged over spring break, I was working on an independent research study that eventually led to me qualifying for the job I have now, enjoyed all of my classes, reconnected with an old friend, and met my goal of achieving a job. 4.0 GPA. It would have been devastating if I had been told not to return from spring break. My whole life would have changed. Undoubtedly yours has done so as a result of this pandemic.

There is not much comfort to offer you. Perhaps high school seniors heading to college or college students heading to graduate school will regain some of these experiences in a few years. I went to a semi-formal dance my sophomore year that was way more fun and way better than my high school prom, but at least I had a prom to compare it to. You are missing experiences that cannot be replaced or returned, because there is no way to go back in time and claim what you missed, by choice or circumstance. Sorry.

This is a difficult lesson to learn so early in life and in a pretty extreme way. I believe that COVID-19 has taught all human beings on Earth that we are no in control of everything and circumstances may it will happen that it will derail our best intentions and plans. Usually those are lessons that come later in life, through personal things like unexpected changes in health, family, relationships, work, or finances. This is one of the two reasons why I think we all have an identity crisis in our 40s. We are disappointed that the life plans we made in our 20s did not work out as we hoped. Reconciling who we are against what we hoped to be is a matter of knowing two things: that the unexpected will happen and it will lead us astray (as you are learning now), and that we all want to be more than we are, when the truth is that all we are is enough.

Unfortunately, you are learning your first lesson even before you have that diploma or degree in hand. Life will give you a kick and there is nothing you can do about it except adapt, adjust, strengthen yourself to face the challenge and take advantage of the wisdom and opportunities that you can from it. The good news is that you can trust that the Lord will not only help you get by, but will also work through this tragedy for your good in the end. The trick is stopped until the end, and we are not there yet. We are all dealing with this chaotic mess and praying for better days around the corner.

The second lesson is one that you must learn for yourself. In fact, I am 44 years old and now I am “getting it” after life turned me around for a decade until I finally grew up and learned that there were things in me that I needed to figure out in order. to reach my full potential. That is, in fact, a lifelong challenge. There will always be things that we must learn, do, fix, adapt and mature. It does not mean that there is a flaw in your character. It means that you are human, like everyone else on the planet. Just remember that everything you are and everything you have is enough. The Lord will give you what you need as you go through life and work things out to get you where you need to be. You may not always like them, but they are giving you their best and you just have to accept what it takes to do your best. Life hurts sometimes, but it ebbs and flows. All things happen. Know that challenges will lead to better days, and enjoy the best days while you have them. The good news is that you have eternity with Christ, so it’s not that you really run out of time. Don’t rush or rush. Just experience life where you are, enjoy its blessings, and take its lessons with humility and courage.

We are all missing the experiences of life. This is why we are all so anxious, restless, angry, moody, and depressed. No one knows what to do with this mess, or what the Lord is trying to do in us. But missing milestones is the worst. It feels like he’s being cheated on and it feels personal. It is not. You are not being punished. None of us are. For you, it is a terrible time and, unfortunately, that happens in life. I pray that it will take you on a better path than you bargained for, and I know that you will have the light of other experiences shining before you. You can’t get them back, but you can’t lose them all either. The Lord will give you beauty for these ashes. Just stand firm and keep the faith.

No, I will not post my senior photo. You don’t need it. What you need are prayers and support to receive strength to overcome this crisis, just like the rest of us.

Best wishes to you in the future. You deserve it!

Sincerely,

SherritheWriter

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