Hello, for those of you who do not know me or cannot recognize me from a faraway distance, my name is Michelle Baldini. Since nobody wants to listen to me ramble on about my life for hours, I have condensed my speech down to a brief 20 minutes, you’re welcome. Let us begin. As a great philosopher, Donna Meagle from Parks and Recreation, once said, “treat yo self” and this is exactly what I am extending to you. Say it with me “treat yo self”. “Treat yo self.” Do you want that extra whipped cream on that latte because this is Seattle and let’s face it, our only coping mechanism is coffee? “Treat yo self.” Do you want to sleep in five minutes longer? “Treat yo self!” Do you want to steal that guy’s watch because you know it will look fine on your wrist? For the love of God, do not “treat yo self;” that is illegal! Moderation is necessary people. However, if you only get one thing out of this speech, let it be that you need to enjoy the little things in life.
Fun fact about our school: according to National Geographic the Latin name for grizzly is Ursus Arctos Horribilis, which translates to Horrible Artic Bear. Now most of us have been at Glacier Peak for approximately 15,552,000 seconds or roughly 180 full 24-hour days, and that is a long time to be a horrible artic bear. And now, it’s over. Some of us are dreading leaving, and some of us are already half way out the door. But most of us can agree that we are nervously, excitedly anticipating our future, and what a future it will be with our generation in the world.
We are the future writers, doctors, explorers, lawyers, teachers, and groundbreakers of the twenty-first century, and we have the capability to make immense change in the world. That is beautifully terrifying. Some of us still cannot separate the lights from the darks in the laundry machine, and we would be lying to ourselves if we claimed that we haven’t used at least one YouTube tutorial about using something as mundane as a can opener. Yet we are expected to fix all of the problems of the world, the daunting task that life has imposed on us. So, instead of focusing on this immense magnum opus that is our future, let us instead focus on the individual brush strokes.
We are bright. We are driven. We are important. Whether you believe it or not, each and every one of us deserves to be up on this stage, no matter if you excelled or barely made it by.
Too often, we overlook such immense life accomplishments as something that is expected of us since many have done it before us, rather than seeing it for the incredible achievement it is. We deserve to bask in our accomplishments and let the future wait, for right now we are the future, and we have earned our celebration. Yes, the world is large and terrifying and taxes exist but take time to breathe, and allow yourself to love seeing every sunset and value every extra sprinkle on your celebratory cake. Parents, stepparents, loved ones: this extends to you as well.
You have managed to support a child for eighteen years, something many cannot fathom. Take a moment to enjoy the way your kid rolls their eyes at you or reminisce about seeing them grow into an outstanding person, because sooner or later we will be out in the world, and we will no longer be there to share those moments with you.
But let us not be sad over these inevitabilities of life. Instead, let us embrace every moment, take every free sample life has to offer us, and love the world around us for what it is.
Today is the beginning of a new tomorrow. Today is looking back into the past. Today is using repetition to trick everyone into thinking I am saying something insanely profound (nailed it).
Today is now, and we all deserve to treat ourselves. Thank you.
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