DEAR NEPHEWS, GRADUATION DOES SUCK, BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS

It just dawned on me today that you’re graduating. One from 8th grade which is a big deal, and one, from high school, which is a very very big deal. And it’s not that I didn’t know, (this virgo is very on top of her schedule game), but it’s upon us. And I won’t be there to celebrate any of it. And that sucks. But y’all? Y’all are getting the shorter end of the stick in this scenario and that sucks even more. And here’s what I want to tell you about that. 

You may be saying to yourself this is so unfair and sucks so bad. We don’t get a proper party or a real audience of our entire family to cheer us on. This path you’ve been on is an important one and you deserve some accolades. 

I get that. And I wholeheartedly agree. 

You are missing out on that grad night where you stay up all night with all your senior buddies and you get hypnotized by the hypnotist and you eat loads of sugar and you cry with your friends and reminisce about what this 4 year high school experience has been all about. 

Yes you’ll miss the images and the confetti and all of it.

And the ceremonies. The awards. The speeches. The film reel of you in your cap and gown with all your family and friends walking in line to grab your diploma.

It might look different boys. 

This is true. 

I’m not sugarcoating your disappointment. 

But I will say this.

To the graduates of 2020, this is the year of disappointment. But it’s also the year of enlightenment.

It is the predecessor of the real life you’re about to embark on. 

The world is not an easy place. But if you look for it, if you push aside the muck that covers the beauty of this time in your life, you can see it. 

There’s magical colors smeared beyond the muck that shines your enormous light. 

It leads you to the magic and the mess of what real life looks like.

There will be happy times. And sad times.

There will be monumental, unreal, wtf just happened times.

There will be love. All kinds of beautiful, confusing and undeniable love. 

There will be learning.

Not just the kind in books and essays. 

The real kind.

The learning that will teach you to be men. 

To make the right decisions when you want to be wrong. 

As you walk into life past graduation of 2020, you’ll see that it’s more complex than it is now. 

But this pandemic is a great start. 

Because it’s showing you life’s real complicated story.

That not everything ends with a Disney theme song.

That life can be strenuous and convoluted and intimidating. 

But if you’re currently sitting on the sofa with your brothers and or sister and mama or Dad, you also know that this time in this pandemic is also incredibly special. And full of love.

You see, it has its moments.

That’s how life is. 

And as you grow, life evolves and so do you.

So today, as you enter graduation that looks far different than you expected, it’s ok to cry.

Men do cry.

Let it out.

Be sad that it ended this way.

But then take a breath and feel your breath and realize you’re alive and well at this time in 2020. 

And be proud of you. 

Because you’re awesome. And you did it.

And we are all incredibly proud of you.

Congratulations and I love you!