This is the time of year when we’re usually gearing up for end-of-year school celebrations — milestones that are part of our American culture and mark the promise of things to come.
We join communities across the country in lamenting that nothing is as we knew it before the coronavirus pandemic ravaged our land and changed every aspect of our lives. Sadly, there will be no proms this year. High school and college graduations have been canceled across the country. There will be no pictures from Sweet 16 parties or quinceaneras over the next few weeks for reminiscing years from now.
These are disappointing losses for thousands of young people who looked forward to what we know were significant events in our lives. The experiences we have in life shape us, enrich us and give us purpose.
It’s hard to look for positives in situations like this. But we’re reminded that life is about dealing with challenges. And our ability to battle through adversity is the very thing that builds up our resilience to tackle them in the future.
Experts tell us that the challenges we face teach us resourcefulness, courage and perseverance. Simply put, struggles help us grow. Overcoming the toughest struggles often makes us stronger.
And in all kinds of ways, the struggles we are all facing are the toughest we’ve ever imagined. Of course, our priority has to be on sheltering at home to reduce the spread of this deadly disease.
Still, we recognize that students have had to give up more than just seeing their friends at school and their extracurricular activities. Nothing should diminish their accomplishments. But many of them won’t get a chance to walk across the stage in public recognition of their many hard years of hard work. They’ll never have endearing memories of prom night.
It’s encouraging to see some districts understand what these events mean to these kids and are looking for ways to mark some of them, such as rescheduling graduation ceremonies for June or July.
We pray we’re on the flat end of this pandemic by then.
We recall the important research from psychologists who tell us that resiliency is an important key to success. It’s rooted in our ability to steer through everyday adversity and rebound from bigger setbacks. Its ingredients include controlling behavior under pressure, good problem-solving and belief in yourself to help live fulfilled lives.
These principles likely provide little solace for students and their parents who are missing out on these big ceremonies. But they provide essential life lessons that will sustain them for years to come.
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