Dear student,
You are embarking on the next four years of your young adult life and it will be scary.
You are like a small seedling that has started to open up, under the earth, in the dark, finding its way to the light and it will not be easy.
You will need water, the nutrients of the soil, and the right temperature in order to make that journey into the light less strenuous.
You may get more water, or no water, less nutrients or none at all and the temperature may rise at times or not at all. But unlike a seedling which will not survive when all of those things radically change, you CAN and will.
You already have been through storms that you thought you couldn’t weather and you’re here.
You may still be going through battles where you are the lone soldier on the battle field and you’re here.
And it will NOT get any easier. I have been told and have experienced that NOTHING worth having IS EASY.
You will come into your own and in these four years you will begin to decide who you are or who you want to become. You will experience deceit, betrayal, ridicule, embarrassment, envy, rage, isolation, anxiety, sadness, rejection, pain and a whole other myriad of feelings that could overwhelm you but won’t because they will pass as all feelings do. What you must remember is to learn from each and every one of these feelings because they will prepare you for the next part of your journey towards adulthood.
And then there’s us, the adults in the building on the sidelines.
We are listening, observing, witnessing, assisting, empathizing, guarding, counseling, providing, offering, servicing, feeding, trusting, praising, and teaching you.
Some of us are the water you need to grow, while some of our lessons can be the nutrients you need to evolve. And some of us can be the temperature you need to ignite your motivation.
Most of us remember what it was like to be your age. Most of us remember the rocky road, the highs and lows, the needing to be liked and accepted, and the struggle it is ‘growing up’. And today we decide to be the adult we wish we had when we were your age because today we know better. And this means saying ‘No’, even when you want to hear ‘yes’.
Today, as adults we understand that not everything you want is good for you, not everything you do becomes you, not everything you say, must be said. There will always be exceptions to rules, yet the rules must be explore and respected. This too will prepare you for the next part of your journey into adulthood. Cause even we as adults, have rules to abide by.
Every no does not mean we do not love you. It means we are doing yet another thing in the building, we are PROTECTING you.
As your stem breaks through the earth, remember it’s like stepping into the light. With each passing day, every obstacle you overcome, every lesson learned, every struggle you endure can only make you stronger. It can be as if you’re leaving the dark, if you allow joy, pride, happiness, generosity, compassion, patience and self-love to be worth MORE than the bad feelings.
May your roots embed themselves on firm convictions and the lessons learned in this building assist you in other spaces.
Grow to become the adult you aspire to be.
Sincerely,
Ms. Chavez