Dear Class of 2020
Congratulation on all the accomplishments over the past 18 years. Your young lives have experienced so much that you are/were not able to comprehend. You were born into the aftermath of a national tragedy. You grew up only knowing foreign wars and an undercurrent of dislike or hatred for others based on nationality or religion. Your parents rejoiced and cried a bit on your first day of preschool, kindergarten and each year since. You survived elementary school and learning to tie your shoes and slip on your winter clothes to be at the front of the line to get the best swing or your group could get the best part of the sledding hill. You learned "new" math and have survived algebra and, for some, calculus. Graphic organizers have been mastered and, hopefully, retained to help you when you have to write in the future. Science class prepared you to cultivate your gardens and create, experiment, and test your hypothesis for fixing the furnace (or anything you run into) on your own later in life. You survived middle school, hopefully unharmed, and survived the first 3.5 years of high school. Some completed sports seasons, some tried out. Some mastered the arts in theater and muisc while others focused on social justice issues or were socially awkward. Congratulations. You made it to your senior year. You are on your way to life after high school. Congratulations.
Condolances on all you will miss during the last few months of your senior year. These are huge in your life. Things that only happen during your senior year. I/We acknowledge you are missing out on so many things. Nothing adults can say will ease this pain. It is real to you and that is the most important. It only makes us feel better to "justify" the losses.
In this time, grieve for what you have missed. Take the time to be angry, scream, cry out, cuss, do what you need to do. Take time to pray. Pray for healing, for acceptance, and for opportunities to emerge from this time of disappointment.
I/We grieve with you. It doesn't matter what other generations have gone though. This is YOUR reality. YOUR time of trial. YOUR losses. YOUR disappointments. YOUR life. Allow yourself time to grieve. Allow yourself time to heal.
Look forward to the summer and fall. What is next on your list of accomplishments. Do you plan to start college? Did you have a job lined up? Are you applying at the work bank for a job? Did you have a job you will return to? Could you start your own business and/or do something you love?
The world is open to any and all possibilities for you. Your class, the Class of 2020 is strong, resiliant, and will overcome this time of trial to be triumphant and show this world that missing a graduation ceremony is nothing compared to all the great things this class, YOU, will achieve.
Blessings to each and every member of the Class of 2020.
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