Good morning, Class of 2026---this is it.
The moment you have worked so diligently for---
The moment you have patiently waited for---
The moment that will be a stepping stone for you in the years to come---
This moment has finally arrived…
Congratulations!
As we gather to honor you today, I recognize the simple fact that I am the only one standing between you, the ringing of the Victory Bell, and your newfound status as a Graduate of Palmer Trinity School.
I also recognize that today, you’re going to leave us…Your Palmer Trinity Family.
Today is a day of celebration. A day to pause, reflect, and remember the joys, the sorrows, the ups and downs, particularly of your time here at Palmer Trinity.
Today is also a celebration of what is to come…And while I understand that you may be feeling anxious, or nervous, or ready to leave, today is a beginning. A beautiful, exciting, and well deserved beginning…A day to embrace the unknown, and whatever is to come your way.
Today, you “walk away”; you “cast off”; you depart into the great unknown; you take the “next step” on your educational journey…Summer travels, study abroad, college…Who knows?
And with that in mind, I’ll take full advantage of having this podium and microphone, and offer a few, hopefully, helpful, last pieces of advice…As I am reminded by the noted Romantic poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
Advice is like snow–the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind…
I will try not to “press” too hard here…My advice, hopefully, will “fall softly” and settle into your mind…possibly your heart, and maybe even your soul…So, sit back, and enjoy a few, hopefully painless minutes of some simple thoughts from someone who cares for you very much. Someone who has thoroughly enjoyed observing you for many years…Someone who feels quite privileged to speak to you now.
As you take this next step today, know that You are ready. Know, too, that are on a path that will have twists and turns, ups and downs…A path that will require you to, first and foremost, to simply,
Be You.
Recognize your strengths, work to address your weaknesses, and be open to change…Remember, too, as the accomplished physicist, Richard Feynman reminds us,
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself–and you are the easiest person to fool.
—Richard Feynman
You must be true to yourself, for only then can you be true to others…
Only you can be you.
And you are a wonderful, complex and ever-evolving human being. Someone who, as of today, is being recognized for the successful completion of a major step in your educational life…You are a Palmer Trinity graduate. You should feel proud. Today is a big day! Each of you has taken your “own road” to be here, and yet, as you well know, this is the first of what will be many steps on your journey.
Celebrate your success today—savor it—but be ready to continue on your path of self-enlightenment…As you travel that “path”, remember also to,
Be a person of integrity.
Stick to your Principles. Hold on to your values…What you have been taught…As Mr. Chapman has reminded you for the last four years, Choose what’s Right!
Remember,
Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.
—Brene Brown
In the “official” Survey I asked each of you to complete for me this Spring, I asked the question, “What is your legacy?” “How do you want to be remembered?” Not only here at Palmer Trinity, but in this big, great world?
Who are you? What do you want to be? Will you be a person of character—of integrity—someone who can be counted upon? Someone who “follows through”? Only you can decide.
As you develop your character, and be your “unique self”, remember, too, to
Choose your friends wisely.
Excellence through Association…Excellence through Association.
Tell me with whom you consort and I will tell you who you are.
—Goethe
Who you spend your time with will be critical to your greater success—your greater happiness in life…In fact, a study conducted recently by Notre Dame University found that the people you surround yourself with influence your behaviors, as well as your mood, health habits, even your self-discipline. This emotional “contagion” happens below the surface, without our realization. For example, if you choose to spend time with someone who complains all day, and spends their time focused on negativity, then, well, you guessed it—you have a strong chance of adopting those behaviors as well!
On the flip side, if the person beside you lights up with curiosity, seeks solutions instead of drama, well, the chances of your mental and emotional “tone” are certainly going to be more positive. The people around us can literally “shape the lens” through which we see the world.
Who do you want shaping YOUR lens?
Think about the person you consider to be your best friend. What are they like? Can you name a few of their best traits? Now, think about how they make you feel. How they encourage you, stick by you, or stand up for you when you need them most…Don’t just take this advice from me…Winnie the Pooh tells us wisely, that,
It’s not what we have, but who we have.
—Winnie the Pooh
Yes, who we select to have next to us makes a real difference.
Choose your friends wisely.
As you navigate your journey “beyond” the walls of Palmer Trinity, remember too, the real value of Time. As the noted writer, Annie Dillard, tells us so simply,
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.
—Annie Dillard
Accordingly, I encourage you to
Use your time wisely.
Consider that wonderful gift of time…You are given:
1,440 minutes every day!
Each and every day…1, 440 minutes. In one week’s time, you will receive,
10,080 minutes!
10, 80 minutes…What an incredible gift---and a real responsibility! Value those precious 10, 080 minutes. As we are reminded by someone who certainly used his time wisely, the legendary inventor and businessman, Thomas Edison,
Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.
You have been given plenty of time in your day to accomplish much…How will you use your time? What activities will you pursue? What dreams do you wish to obtain? What are your hopes? How will you go about using your time to the fullest—to help you achieve those things that are important to you?
I would argue that in order to take full advantage of the hours each day, that your self-discipline will be paramount, and it will be critical for you to be organized and to be a master planner if you are truly committed to getting the most out of every day. In short,
Don’t count the days. Make the days count.
—Muhammad Ali
And, you, Class of 2026 have done just that—You’ve made YOUR days count here at Palmer Trinity! You have also been given much…You are supported and loved, and you have an entire Community behind you ...Don't forget to let the people who have helped you know just how much you appreciate their support. Remember their sacrifices, and all they have done for you, on YOUR journey. You’ve done that so visibly today, but keep at it!
Don’t forget that each day offers new opportunities to be grateful…You can never say “thank you” enough. With that being said, I certainly am grateful to each of you. I say,
Thank you.
For,
You have established yourselves, as leaders in the classroom. You have set the bar high, for all to follow.
You have used your time well here, contributing well beyond that classroom.
Your Positive Spirit and your Genuine Commitment to the Ideals of our School are of the highest order…Our entire Community owes you a great debt of thanks for leading us so capably.
I say “thank you” for setting the tone, and being such effective leaders and influences for our School. You have been good mentors, role models, and Spirit Guides for our younger students.
You have “jumped in” and spoken out respectfully and powerfully, supporting causes to help others and our greater World.
You have helped lead our artistic efforts, sharing your creative talents for all to enjoy, and you have done so enthusiastically and generously, mentoring our younger musicians, thespians, and artists so capably.
You have competed at the highest level, with the most noble ideals, and, most importantly, with true sportsmanship on display.
You have accrued 37, 822 hours of volunteer service as a Class, living our Mission so well and so visibly.
37, 822 hours!
You have Led with Love, and the ripple effect of such beautiful and thoughtful acts cannot be measured.
You have Led with Love.
In short, you have served faithfully as a Palmer Trinity Student, and all that such a privilege and responsibility require.
So, as you “walk away” today, I leave you with this beautiful poem from the Irish writer and former Poet Laureate of Great Britain, C. Day–Lewis:
Walking Away
It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day–
A sunny day with leaves just turning,
The touch-lines new-ruled–since I watched you play
Your first game of football, then, like a satellite
Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away
Behind a scatter of boys. I can see
You walking away from me towards the school
With the pathos of a half-fledged thing set free
Into a wilderness, the gait of one
Who finds no path where the path should be.
That hesitant figure, eddying away
Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem,
Has something I never quite grasp to convey
About nature’s give-and-take–the small, the scorching
Ordeals which fire one’s irresolute clay.
I have had worse partings, but none that so
Gnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughly
Saying what God alone could perfectly show–
How selfhood begins with a walking away,
And love is proved in the letting go.
And so, Class of 2026, as you take this next step—as you walk away—with diplomas in hand,
Know that you are loved.
Know that you are supported.
Know that we are always cheering for you.
Know that you will be missed.
Know that we are waiting, and hoping you will return in due time to share your stories with us. And, Always remember,
You may leave Palmer Trinity, but Palmer Trinity will never leave you.
