“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”-Dr. Seuss quotesIsn’t it just like Dr. Seuss to speak the truth? You’ve got what you need, now get on with it! Pretty good advice for the graduate as well as the rest of us.Other than the promise of summer, May always makes me think of graduation, whether it’s high school or college. And for some of us, including Michelle and me, we are quite immersed in graduation, but mostly things surrounding the event – the parties and the gifts and the college plans, oh my. We don’t necessarily like to think about our children growing up and moving on to college or jobs or, frankly, the rest of their lives. How did they go from birth to 18 or 22 in such a flash? “They” told us it would be gone before we know it and to appreciate every moment. Once again, “they” were right.It is estimated that there will be about 2.8 million high school graduates this year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2010, 68.1 percent of high school graduates were enrolled in colleges and universities. About 40 percent are out in the work force, about half of which are college students. Of the remaining graduates, about 16 percent are unemployed.2.8 million graduates – that’s a lot of future. I wonder, ‘what will they do with the foundation we’ve given them?’ Who will become our educators, doctors, firefighters, artists, police, clergy, business owners, newspaper editors, politicians, leaders and parents?At these big milestones, we find ourselves wanting to dispense advice about how our graduates should go out into the world and do great things. The world is your oyster – go out and conquer it! Truth be told, most of us realize we never conquered the world. And maybe some of us feel we didn’t do enough. But here’s more truth: No job, no task, no calling is too small. It’s the journey that matters. What will our graduates do along the way? What choices will they make? Whose lives will they touch? Stay tuned … that’s the best part.Congratulations to all of our graduates! May your journeys be sprinkled with rich experiences and joyful times. We can’t wait to see what you do!– Deb, Michelle and the NFH team
