Wednesday, May 21, 2014
I’ll open with congratulations, but not to our cohort of graduates –
theirs is yet to come. Instead, I want to congratulate the parents, family
members, fellow teachers, and friends who have undoubtedly offered their
unwavering support. Tonight’s graduates have certainly needed and will continue
to need guidance, and because I know them, I know they've come from places of
strength, stability, courage, difficulty, fear, and especially, love. I
congratulate you first and offer my sincerest wishes for continued strength,
stability, and courage in times of difficulty and fear, and especially love as
you continue to offer support to our children. Congratulations.
I spent a lot of time rewriting this speech, not because I didn't know
what to say, but because none of the configurations ever seemed to work; the
flow was – for lack of a more sophisticated word – wacky. I couldn't find the
thread, a thread – a uniting piece, let alone THE uniting piece. So finally, I
just started brainstorming words or phrases that made me think of each of them, and what ended up happening was my recognition of the ways in which these four
young people have taught me, the “teacher". So I've chosen one key element that
I've learned from each of them, and if you’ll bear with me, I’d like to share
those reflections with you now.
D, we've recently learned, has a fan club. Here on campus. A grouping
of primary children who adore him, rightfully so, I think they see in him what
I see. His fan club is a testament to his nature and character. D, you’re
the first to help someone else; you want to make your friends feel better when
they’re down. You’re quick to recognize when something you've said or done has
caused hurt to another and that particular self-awareness is what continually prompts you
to reach out. You’re quick to make amends, quick to step in for others and you light
up when you can bring joy to someone else. D, you remind me to be gentle to
others, to think of what the other person is going through, and to be empathetic.
You remind me that at the end of the day it will not have mattered if I was a
knowledgeable teacher, but instead, that I was a gracious one. Thank you.
A, your self-confidence is admirable. It’s hard to be strong all the
time, it’s hard to brush things off even when you know it’s the right thing to
do, and it’s hard to go against the grain, but you make it seem effortless.
What’s even more impressive is that I know that it’s not all for show because I
catch you at times, when you think no one is looking, and you’re still the most
authentic version of yourself – nothing to hide, nothing to fake. At 33 years old I
am still not there; I still struggle with being true to myself and not letting
what others have to say or think take away from my joy. You inspire me, A,
you remind me of how important it is to be open to others while retaining the
kind of power required to be gentle and true to myself. Thank you.
As the assistant, I have the added privilege of observing everyone during
recess, which means that I get to see everyone in their truest from - while they socialize. S, I’ll admit
that observing you last year had me a little worried – worried that your voice
would get lost among those who are louder; that you would get swept away by
others whose presence was more overpowering. When you walked into the classroom this year, instantly my fears were gone because I saw that you had changed. You
found your voice and your strength. You've learned how to set healthy boundaries and
stick to them; you've embraced your role as a leader in our classroom, on this
campus, and in your life. And I believe that I've seen a much happier, and more
authentic you this year because of it. S, what you remind me of everyday is
something that I’m constantly saying to you which is to remember that it’s OK
to be vulnerable, it's OK to open up and let others see us for who we are. You remind
me that I – that we – are agents of change, whether it’s our immediate circle
or our larger community, we have to be willing to give of ourselves if we
expect the same from others. Thank you.
F, I have been privileged to see a change in you too. Once a meek and
figuratively small fifth grader, you've become a confident and ever present sixth grader. I've
enjoyed watching you grow more and more comfortable in your skin, I was happy to bear witness to your metamorphosis from young child into young lady. I've watched
your peers turn to you with admiration, respect, and genuine fondness. You’re
like everyone’s older sister – the one with all the answers, the one who always
has a shoulder to cry on, the one who offers her time to help even if she needs
that time for herself and you do it because you recognize that they chose you. You
remind me that we, humans, are constantly changing; that there is always room
for growth, and most importantly, that there is always time for someone else,
especially someone who thinks that time with you will add value to their life. Thank you.
So now, finally, I congratulate each of you. Your journey here at Jarrow is coming
to its end, but you have a greater journey still awaiting you. There will be
scary moments, challenges, difficult situations, tough decisions, and endless
battles with yourself – and that’ll all be before your next graduation. But you
also contain, within you, the knowledge and ability to overcome those
struggles. You already carry and exhibit the values of being a leader, the
awareness of self required to stay true – to know moral “right” from “wrong,” the
vulnerability to take a risk and the willingness to let your mistakes guide you.
You each hold the power within yourself to face what comes next with grace and
brilliance. Sure, you’ll fall, but you know how to get up, and more
importantly, you know how to keep carrying on.
Dean Jackson wrote, “When she transformed into a
butterfly, the caterpillars spoke not of her beauty, but of her weirdness. They
wanted her to change back into what she always had been. But she had wings.”
And now, as much as we – caterpillars – want you all to change back into
members of our community, the truth is that you have wings. It is up to us to
embrace your weirdness and watch you – for you will show us how to fly. Here
you are - four butterflies, beautifully emerged from your cocoons and ready to embark on
your next journey. You’ll innovate and change your world, you’ll dream and
create, you’ll gain new strengths, you’ll continue to transform. And us, we’ll
be all right – we’ll be here when you’re ready to come back; we’ll be here,
basking in your light. Thank you for creating a light vibrant enough for all of
us; thank you for showing us how beautiful change can be, and thank you for
making me dream to have wings like yours. I’m overwhelmed. Congratulations.
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