The Season of Graduation
In honor of the kid who made me a grandma, this week’s entry is for the graduates. Tegan, I especially hope you read this, but there are other special grads too: your mom, graduating with her master's degree, the local kids I’ve watched grow up, and the Hay Springs High graduating class of 2025. You guys were middle school kids when I first met you, and even though I left before your junior year, I’ve been watching and cheering you on from afar.
There’s a poem called “Wear Sunscreen.” The author offers all kinds of advice to young people. It may not even be a poem for graduates, but it got me thinking about the advice I would give if I ever had a platform to do it (ahem, cough, cough).
It’s Finally Here!
Graduation from high school is an exciting time! Until now, you’ve done (mostly) what your parents have told you to do. You’ve gone to school nearly every day, and all of a sudden, the door is wide open, waiting for you to step through it.
Will you continue going to school? Will you join the work world? Are you going to travel?
I can almost guarantee there will be some time when you’ll go crazy. You’ll either be drinking too much and too often, sleeping too little or too much, or you’ll be just plain drunk on your own independence. That’s okay. If your parents have been honest with you, they did it too.
Which reminds me - all those dreams your parents have for you? Are they also your dreams? Because it’s definitely time to follow your own path. Put more value on your own thoughts and ideas than those of others.
But how do you know?
Take Care of You
Give yourself some grace and some time. Graduation comes at you in a rush of a million decisions - continue on with school or join the workforce? Join the military or travel around the world? For years, you’ve been told you weren’t old enough to do this, this, or this, and now, all of a sudden, you’re supposed to have the answers to what the rest of your life looks like?
If you haven’t figured this out already, it’s finally time to start listening to what your mind, your heart, and your body tell you is the right decision. Maybe your parents want you to go to med school, but thinking about it makes you break out in a cold sweat. There’s your answer.
What I wish for you, more than anything, is that you become…happy. And brave. And I hope you’ll consider yourself your own best friend. Your biggest goal now should be to become a better person every single day.
It’s time to look out for you. If you’ve been lucky enough to have at least one supporting, loving adult in your life, please don’t forget to check in with them every now and then.
And if you’ve been on your own for a while now, as sad as it is, you’re already ahead of the game. You know that the one person you’ll be able to count on is yourself, because others have failed you.
Either way, it’s time to make your dreams come true.
And that advice about wearing sunscreen? It’s actually an excellent tip. Congrats to you all!