To: The Class of 2012

Dear Class of 2012,

The truth is, I'm actually going to miss you. I don't know many of you too well, but for the few I do know, I will miss seeing your faces and giving you a hard time (out of love of course) in the halls. You are no longer kids and as young adults you will move on to something bigger and better (and more expensive). Remember that it's okay to attend community college. In fact doing so will actually keep you out of debt and help you save hundreds of dollars. You like having money, right? It's okay to not know what you want to do with the rest of your life because honestly, the rest of your life is far away. I'm a 23 year old college grad working on becoming a teacher and I still don't know what I want to do if I grow up. It's okay to act like a kid . . . sometimes. You've probably heard it said that in college, they don't babysit you. It's true. The only one who really cares about whether or not you're attending class and doing your best is . . . you (and your parents, but usually only if they're paying for it). Be responsible, get your behind out of bed without hitting the snooze button 5 times and get to class. Learn something. When you become knowledgeable you instantly have access to do more than you ever thought possible. Use your knowledge to help those who need it most. Remember knowledge is important, but it isn't everything. What matters most in life even more than getting a degree, starting a career and being a grown up is your relationship with Jesus Christ. I've heard the statistic tossed around that 80% of high schoolers will stop attending church after high school. That's not okay. Staying connected to the body is not only a Biblical command, it's your only chance for survival in the "real world". You will try to be an independent adult. You will try to establish yourself. If you do these things on your own, you will fail. You need Jesus and He will show you how much you need Him every time you fail and end up running to Him. It's okay to not "have it all together" because nobody really has it all together anyway. Don't just go to school for the degree. Make friends. Participate in the activities (No, partying does not count. Yes, I went there). These are the people that you will be spending the next two to four years of your life with. These people, despite their craziness and weird antics are your new family. Living with them works much better if you understand them and you can understand begins by investing in your relationships with them. Remember you can always visit home when things are hard. There is something to be said about home. We all think we can't wait to leave it, to be out on our own. We don't really get that being out on our own forces us to realize that we really do like home. We miss and love our mom and dad and we are truly grateful that they put up with us "for all those years" and are willing to welcome us back at a moments notice. Don't forsake home and don't forsake your family. These are, for the most part, two constants in life. Remember that 4 years goes by fast. When your professor is lecturing about truth tables for categorical syllogisms the minutes may linger, but the time it takes to graduate flies by faster than one could imagine. Cherish time, cherish your relationships and go into the world with a humility that says, "I know I can't but Christ in me can." Congratulations Class of 2012 and welcome to the real world.
Love,
Lolo