A bond between teacher and students

the words I wanted to hear, and the words I might say if I would ever be a teacher

FROM THE TEACHER:

Dear students, as you graduate today, you'll be taking your first real step into society, into this life.
it's a world full of uncertainties out there, one that tends to offer a little while asking for a lot in exchange sometimes.
but never let that discourage you from trying to find where you belong, and never let it compromise what you believe in.
over time the things we believe in may change, but rather than letting that change be forced by circumstances it's better for it to be induced by self-reflection and improvement, of course if you can't help it then may that change, if forced, be something you can handle later on.

through this year I believe we've witnessed quite the events together. from happiness to confusion to sadness: we've witnessed different colours of emotions but in the end, we shared all of them. so never forget that no matter how good your grades are now, no matter how much influence you might get when you grow up: find people to share your life with so that the good times become merrier, and the sad ones become bearable.

today you're leaving this classroom, only to go to another, and another, and another until you've fully entered the final classroom called life.
and just like in any classroom you'll have your confusions, so never be too shy to ask for answers, to seek clarifications. because in doing so you don't just understand what to do, but you get that peace of mind of knowing what kind of road you're walking instead of feeling lost.
remember that any embarrassment you may get for asking questions won't compare to the regret you might have later on for choosing ignorance. and this life has quite the low tolerance for the ignorant, take it from a senior student who is still learning as well in the classroom of life.

Also, a reminder that not everything is worth learning in this life. and goals do not always justify the means. as such, careful with what you learn and why you learn it. we all have weak moments from time to time but never let them get hold of you and let you learn what hurts you or others around you in the process. I trust in the students I had the pleasure to teach this year so I'm sure that whatever you learn, as long as it's the choice of people such as yourselves, will surely be something beautiful no matter how small you might make it out to be. but you can never be too careful right? hence the reminder to wisely choose what you learn. of course, there are obligatory lessons in the classroom of life and those tend to be taught through pain most of the time so when your turn to digest them comes I hope you hang in there.

With all of that being said, I want to finally add that no matter where you go, no matter how far it is, and no matter how things turn out remember that you'll always be loved. by friends, family, and teachers alike. and should things look grim one day with no one around to share the burden: you're more than welcome to pay this teacher a visit. though be ready for a long lecture first before anything if you've messed up really bad, okay? but let's not get ahead of ourselves and imagine the worst already. and may today, just like it marks the end of a year, be also the start of many years full of bliss ahead.

To you today I say congratulations, you've earned this. keep up the good work. and keep improving, it's always worth the effort and today your efforts for this year are acknowledged in full, never wasted.

Thank you for the fruitful year, and for the memories we created during it.