By T. R. Shaw Jr.
Many of us
have been forced to make sacrifices during this pandemic. One group of individuals, perhaps more than
any other, has made a bigger sacrifice.
The seniors
of the Class of 2020 have been asked to give up a lot. A time honored and significant milestone and
ritual in our society…graduation…and all the pomp and circumstance that goes
with it, has been lost.
While I’ve
missed many things, sports for example, I especially miss this time of year
when we hear inspiring sound bites from celebrities, academic leaders, powerful
business leaders, and others, extolling their wisdom while wearing gowns and
mortar boards.
I’ve always wanted to deliver a
commencement speech, maybe someday I will!
Graduation
was a great time in my life, I remember it well. That period of time when “senioritis” set
in. Thoughts of leaving home to “make
your way” in the world was, and is, a significant personal milestone; not to
mention all the open houses you attended with family friends. I also remember a baccalaureate service
before political correctness took over public schools. The thoughts of never
seeing everyone you grew up with again tugged at you, and anxiety became real.
As humans,
we mark significant points in our lives with traditions and rituals. Rituals are important to society. Baby showers, baptisms, graduations, weddings,
retirements, birthdays, anniversaries, and funerals, all play a significant role
in the human experience. As a funeral
director for most of my career, I can attest to the importance of ritual in
recognizing death. COVID-19 has also greatly
affected funeral rituals in a big way!
Although I
don’t have children, I’ve followed my niece and nephew as they grew from
infancy to academia. Time does fly! My niece is in the high school Class of 2020
and has missed out on prom, graduation, and all the traditions surrounding
it. She has handled it well and
creatively, yet I feel her sense of loss and I’m not sure what to do about it. I couldn’t be prouder though. My nephew has also lost a significant part of
his college experience when campus closed.
The Class
of 2020 will always have a unique memory of this time. In so many ways this class will always be
remembered for what they sacrificed, and what they didn’t get to do. Many other classes have come and gone and are
vaguely remembered, but the Class of 2020 will always be special and
unique. Fifty years from now they will still
be talking about it, and how they did it.
There will always be a special bond within this class of graduates, no
matter where they hail from.
Leaders will rise from this class,
and the experience will temper their thinking and attitudes for years to come,
in ways we cannot comprehend today. Perhaps
this sacrifice is the biggest lesson learned for 2020. This class will be leading the world in a few
years, the world is truly in their hands.
I’m not worried.
Maybe we’ve become a little too
soft, and a little too comfortable.
Maybe the rest of us have forgotten how to sacrifice. Perhaps, the Class of 2020 will become the
next Greatest Generation, facing a new world, tempered in the idealism that
nothing is guaranteed, and sacrifice has to be a part of the equation. They will lead with a new and different
paradigm.
Let’s truly celebrate this class of
graduates, who were born in this millennium.
The world is now in their hands and I’m secure in knowing it will be
great in the years to come. They’ve got
this!
Best wishes and congratulations to
every graduate today!
Change the World...for the better!
T. R. Shaw Jr. is a Battle Creek,
Michigan based author and speaker. His
recent book, DEFY THE IMMEDIATE, A Journey of Failure, Perseverance and Success, is a memoir on life challenges and opportunities. Visit his website, www.trshawjr.com.
