Dear Class Of 2020, I'm Sorry You Were Robbed of So Many Milestones

It finally happened for my (now) 18 year old sister! She’s no longer a baby, and on to start the rest of her life! With that said, however, this wasn’t without a challenge!

COVID-19 presented some true devastation for a lot of people this day and age, and some that we less think of, are the 2020 graduates.

You were born into an era where the world felt like it was falling apart. 9/11 wasn’t something you asked to be introduced into, but it is part of your story. And now, this.

It’s not suppose to be this way.

You were robbed of so many milestones, one of the greatest chapters of your life.

Please know that it is OK to feel the grief. It’s OK to feel the sadness and shed the tears.

It’s unfair and that is the most simple way to put it. Feel it. Process it. Embrace it.

Something so precious was taken from you, and you need to be allowed to feel that! Then, do what we all know and love about you guys….get back up and take the world by storm.

You my friends are so special. You’ve beat the odds in a sense, and still came out on top. This is only a mere stepping stone in this greater picture that we call life.

You are now on your way to so many bigger and better things.

We can all look back at this years from now and laugh at the funny graduation photos in masks, the fact that some never had a graduation at all, and how social distancing made things very complicated to receive a diploma! But all in all, it’s all a part of your story.

So when you’re ready, take a big, deep breath. Bend your knees, and LEAP FORWARD! Because this pandemic does not define you.

There are things that this pandemic has caused on this world, where YOU get to be the generation to help pick up the pieces. I, myself, am a few generations above you, but I will be here to guide you along the way, as will so many other amazing individuals.