For students across the country, this period marks the end of another year of hard work, and for the high school and college Class of 2021, a celebratory moment that encapsulates anywhere from around 15 to 20 years of education. This year will also simultaneously be remembered as the infamous COVID epoch, where our activities, interests, and trajectories naturally shifted to adapt to the novelty of the global situation. What are the next steps in our lives as we embrace this period of change?
To begin, we should remember that our class and generation as a whole demonstrated laudable adaptability in the face of an unpredictable situation, and that we have developed tools and skills which will serve us for the rest of our lives. In a way, the burden of incessantly attending back-to-back meetings and merging the classroom environment with the privacy of our homes has undeniably prepared us well for the future. We are ready for anything and we are more prepared than before the pandemic began. Many of us refined our technological prowess, seized an opportunity to develop a meaningful project, or underwent a profound process of self-reflection to learn more about ourselves.
The homogeneity and consistency of our previous lives got us locked into a routine which was abruptly shattered due to COVID, inspiring some form of reconsideration and self-discovery in every person. Perhaps you have been able to sort out your priorities more or dedicate a year to some hobby or endeavor which was always biting at the back of your mind beforehand. One year, in the grand scheme of things, is a fraction of our entire lives. Admittedly, it can influence a great deal (and 1/80 of a human life, for example, is still a sizable amount), sometimes for the worst, but in this case, we were provided with a pause. It was not an excuse for indolence or idleness, but in fact quite the opposite. We had room to show our strengths, knowing that there were others in the same situation as us open to receiving our work.
In a post COVID world, we will mechanically and joyfully return to our previous routines, but with an extra piece of knowledge. We now know that life can throw us crazy curveballs, we have learned the skill of adaptability, and most importantly, we will rejoice everyday since we know that the gift of life is simply too precious to overlook or deplore.
Congratulations Class of 2021 and best wishes for all of your graduations and celebrations in the coming weeks!
5/22/21