Dear Class of 2020,

My daughter is among your ranks as a college graduate from the Pennsylvania State University. Hopes were high when she started college and our family is keeping the faith that things will be good again soon. In the meantime, it seems that we’ve handed you some very troubling times and heavy burdens for your future. From those of you that I’ve met, we are in excellent hands. You are a bright, enthusiastic, non-judgmental, open hearted group and I pray that what we’ve left you with doesn’t dampen your spirits. 

Here’s what I hope you have learned, or will learn, as you head into your adult lives:

1. We are all in this together. There are no “those people.” The pandemic has shown that if we don’t work together as a nation and as a universe, we are in big trouble. I pray that your open-mindedness will lead future generations to not point fingers, but rather to engage teamwork and unity. 
2. Hatred is contagious and when leaders hate, many follow. It’s hard not to hate sometimes with all of the ugliness, name calling, and finger pointing, yet where will that ever take us? Hold onto love. It’s the only vaccine against hate.
3. Love this earth like you love your friends and family. We haven’t handed it to you in very good shape, so you’ve got your work cut out for you. Yet you are such a creative, ambitious group that I have no doubt you can turn our earth back into the beautiful space that it was and was meant to be.
4. Find a few truly amazing friends and hold onto them for dear life. Nothing will get you through the rough times better than true friends. Lots of acquaintances can be nice, but a friend or two who will stand by you no matter what is one of the greatest joys in life.
5. Choose your own path. Lots of people will tell you that there is one true path and that isn’t true! Maybe you don’t want to have children or ever buy a home. Then that’s the right path for you. Maybe you want to make a lot of money. Then that’s the right path for you. Figure out who you are, what your conscious values are (not the values that others have told you to have) and live those values. You’ll save yourself and those around you a whole lot of aggravation if you are ultimately true to yourself. 
6. Floss your teeth every day. I’m married to a dentist and trust him, this is really good advice.
7. NEVER wait to be joyful, adventurous, curious, and ridiculously happy. Do it now. Right now! If you have any version of a story that says, “I’ll be happy when . . . “, change that story right now. Life is short and fragile. Don’t waste it with wishes. Live the dream right now. 

Class of 2020, you got ripped off on the last few weeks of your high school or college experience. We are sorry for that. We owe you a few wild weeks of partying with your friends! We also owe you an apology for the state of the world that you are entering. It’s a bit of a mess right now. Go take on the world and show us how it’s done! We have faith in you. 

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC