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To the Class of 2025

 Dear Graduating Seniors, 

You did it! You are finally graduating from high school! 

I am sure you are all so anxiously excited to finally get out of here and start your new adventures. College, military, trade school, whatever you are doing, it will all be worth it. 

Although it may not seem like it now, one day you are going to look back on all the fond memories and reminisce about all of the wonderful and tragically horrible things that happened to you while you were a high school student. The person you are right now is shaping who you will become in the future. The achievements you've had, the mistakes you've made, all of those things happened so you can develop more in the character of your own story. 

There are so many wonderful things ahead of you, but also some scary things. You get to live on your own, away from the family and friends you've grown up with, and experience the true art of adulthood. You can make decisions, set your own curfews, and live without restrictions because you are the captain now. You get to put yourself out there, make new friends, and figure out your place. 

You are also going to fall so many times. People will hurt you, and sometimes you make more mistakes than you could imagine. Stuff is going to happen that is out of your control, and you may find yourself stuck with nowhere else to go. You may fail and fall, but don't let those failures deter you from the person you are meant to be. 

As someone who has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, you're going to be okay at the end of the day. You may feel the darkness around you, flooding your brain with so much negativity that you cannot get out of bed. You may also end up feeling lost or confused, and it may seem like the whole world is falling and crumbling around you. That is what life is like sometimes. 

How do you get through it? Well, you take it one day at a time. You feel the feelings you need to, ask God for guidance, and always remember he's by your side, even if it doesn't seem like it. You keep showing up and putting one foot in front of the other, no matter how impossible or difficult it may seem. Remember, God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. And then, eventually, everything will slowly start to get better. The tears you cried yourself to sleep with will water the flowers around you, and eventually you'll bloom back and better than you were before. Everything will be alright. 

So, although you're ready to get out of here and start this new chapter, take in all the glorious things surrounding you now. Embrace these last moments you have to share with your peers, because this is the last time you will ever be together in one room. The people around you are rooting for you, praying for you, and supporting you every step of the way. 

I hope you know how many lives you have changed, even if it doesn't feel like it. Adventure awaits, and I cannot wait to see what amazing things you do. 


Congratulations!

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