This is a big week for our family.

My son’s middle school culmination is tomorrow. 

Which means he’ll soon be a freshman in high school. 

When I was pregnant, and right after Ryan was born, everyone told me his childhood would pass by quickly. “They grow too fast,” my mom often said.

My mom, as she tends to be, was right.

High school will be a new experience. And what is new can also be intimidating and scary. Yet I have no doubt that my son is ready. He has a good head on his shoulders and a kind heart. Plus, he and his classmates have done something never before done — they spent their middle school years in the middle of a global pandemic. (Ryan was sent home in March of 2020, as a sixth grader. He returned to campus in August 2021, as an eighth grader.)

Yet, in case he, and other graduating students, need some encouragement, I offer these famous words from Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss.

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes. 
You can steer yourself 
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

“You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care. 
About some you will say, ‘I don’t choose to go there.’ 
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, 
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.”

“Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.”

“You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s 
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.”

“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!”