What I love most about seniors is this moment when their life of high school ends and their real life moments begin. It is exciting and scary, fun and frustrating, and we spend this last week together vacillating between strangling and hugging one another. But I wish all my seniors the best of the gifts this world has to offer. You all have so much to offer this world- don’t hold back!

The Gifts
Today you leave this life with many gifts,

a full mind that opens your eyes

to see the wonder of this world;

History, and Shakespeare, and Freud

to feel the power of moments and words;

Music and Art to experience the depths

of emotions you cannot speak or write.

You take moments with friends

who made you who you are

and hours with teachers

who made you more

than you thought you could be.

You take all of these, but leave behind

memories of what you have done,

what you have said,

and who you have been.

You go forth into a new life

to receive experiences

that stretch your mind and soul;

moments that deepen your senses;

hardships that feel like curses

but become gifts in their own right.

In this new world you enter

you also will give away

ideas that are fresh and new,

gifts that you create

with hands and hearts and minds.

And you will give feelings:

Let them be joy and not sadness,

love and not hate,

trust and not fear,

generosity and not selfishness.

Be the person you have always wanted to be.

Live the life you have always hoped to live.

Make your tomorrow the best gift

of today.