All my life, I have imagined what I would say if given the chance to speak at my high school graduation. I always wanted to thank those people who had meant the most in my life for their love and support, but the truth of the matter is that there are too many people I would have to thank and simply not enough time in which to do so. I will summarize it by saying this: to those people who have played key roles in my life, whether you are teachers, band parents, church members, or fellow classmates, you know who you are. I thank God everyday for your influence, and I love you with all my heart. Without God, I would be nothing, and all the praise in my life is due Him.
With my thanks being said, I would like to share a story from my first Weekend of a Lifetime in 2007. Weekend of a Lifetime is a Key Club leadership retreat in Texas that has helped shape me into the person I am today. During this first retreat, I was put in a group under the care of Mrs. Luana Billings. Mrs. Luana was a native Hawaiian and shared many heart-touching proverbs from her home state throughout our time together. Her parting story was the most influential story I have heard in my life; I have kept it with me through every goodbye. Now, on this night that will probably be the last time our entire graduating class of 2009 is together, I want to share with you Mrs. Luana’s tale.
Each of our lives is represented by a sandy white beach, stretching as far as the eye can see against the deep blue ocean waters. All across these beaches are scattered shells of various sizes and shapes. These shells make up the experiences of our lives. Some of these shells, we have shared together, whether they are shells of good times, sad times, or in-between times. Each individual shell holds a distinct, precious memory. And while the shells shared between us are many, the beach of your life is still filled with innumerable shells that make up who you are and what you will become. While I would like nothing more than to immerse myself into your lives and learn and know and cherish everything about you, I know that fate will not allow this desire to become reality. Instead of mourning over the shells I will never get to have, however, I will hold the shells we shared close to my heart forever, memorize their distinct pattern and place in my own life, and set them free again in the beach of your memories so that, no matter the distance between us, we will always be connected by the memories of our beautiful time together. Congratulations, Class of 2009. Because of you, my life beach is filled with beautiful shells that I will never forget.
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