We crept gingerly out of isolation into a world roiling with anger. From protests to division over how the pandemic has been handled, on the surface we look like a nation divided. The response of each person is punctuated with frustration and concern over the unknown. At times we feel fragile and insignificant, yet in every breeze of change comes opportunity for small seeds of personal growth. Let me ask you: How different is this new world, really? Certain basics never change.
People matter. Our history has been dotted with other
times of social upheaval and sometimes violent protests. Change is often slow
and steady, and sometimes it is cataclysmic. In the face of all that’s wrong,
we’ve seen the faces of all that’s right. We saw some communities melding
together. Those motions form the basis for healthy change, and rather than
react, you are encouraged to respond. There is a world of difference between
the two. Mobs react with looting and violence. Protestors respond with
intelligent dialogue and the building of bridges. Merchandisers interact with
people on a personal level, and you are encouraged to foster positive
interactions, bonds for healthy change.
We also saw people matter In the faces of frontline medical
workers saving lives, and our hearts swelled with pride for their dedication.
Many willingly sacrificed themselves for the welfare of the most vulnerable, as
did all of us in some way or other. Many of the new guidelines require us to
recognize that the most vulnerable still require protection. Let us remember in
going forward that the American spirit is one in which we value life, life more
convenience, life more than color or ethnicity.
Courage is facing the unknown. From political leaders
to armchair virologists, each of us is facing a novel virus and making
decisions on unknown outcomes. Our opinions may vary, but the courage of each
must be celebrated. Our grads are looking at jobs and continued opportunities,
new and unknown. They face those unknown bravely. Well done, 2020 grads! In the
face of an invisible threat, each of us is facing the uncertainties of life as
perhaps never before, and that courage, wherever it is found, deserves a
celebration. The affirmation of that courage deserves expression!
Life is understood backward but lived forward. Years
from now experts will still be analyzing both the effective and misguided
efforts of all who labor to save us. Our 2020 grads, as all of us, are making
decisions going forward with little understanding of the outcomes. That’s normal.
We never know if a new job will work out. We make friendships never knowing if
the relationship will be rewarding or a heartbreak. Yet we always move forward.
As never before, it is the spirit of our people who face change with barely a
blink of the eye who propel our economy, and we celebrate that perspective.
Well done, 2020 grads, as well as those of us graduating into a new reality.
You are encouraged to continue that trek into the unknown.
Relish the new opportunity. Make the new friend. Look beyond the uncertain
present to the guaranteed future of all who face this world with courage and
dignity. Be part of the future. Be part of the solution.
