As the holidays approached, her student started to express anxiety about Christmas gifts, wanting to do something nice for her friends but unable to afford much. Later that week, the guidance counselor called the girl to her office and presented her with two Christmas gifts of her own. The first was a recipe for a chocolate-covered bark she made for her family and friends each year.
"Everyone loves it," she said. "All you have to do is get some holiday baggies and portion it out and Voila! You've got gifts for all your friends." Then she handed the teen a piece of paper. Printed on it was a passage. "They read this at an event I attended recently and I thought of you. " As the young girl read the words on the page, she managed to choke out a "thank you" before the tears of gratitude and relief overwhelmed her.
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| While often mistakenly associated with Nelson Mandela, Marianne Williamson is the actual author of this passage. |
Sixteen years later, Mrs. Kerrigan's recipe is still a hit. Affectionately dubbed "Christmas Crack" by some former coworkers, my current colleagues start asking for it in November every year. And the treasured piece of paper she gave me that day? It still resides on my fridge. I read it every single day. Wrinkled and creased from its travels over the past decade and a half, its meaning has evolved as I have grown. In 2001, those words meant it was OK for me to be my nerdy, academic, nonathletic, silly self. Now, in 2017, they are a call to action. To be my very best self at a time when it may be very hard to do so.
Last Friday, as Michelle Obama delivered her final remarks as First Lady, flanked by guidance counselors like Mrs. Kerrigan and addressing the nation's young people, it felt so much like she was talking directly to me. Like she knew all my fears and knew exactly what I needed to hear.
"I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don't be afraid—you hear me, young people? Don't be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life."
-First Lady Michelle Obama
Then, earlier tonight, as President Obama delivered his farewell address to the nation, I openly sobbed into a glass of wine in my living room. In a speech full of the soul-stirring rhetoric that first captivated and inspired me nearly a decade ago, the President too, it seemed, knew just what to say to me.
"And that’s why I leave this stage tonight even more
optimistic about this country than when we started. Because I know our work has
not only helped so many Americans; it has inspired so many Americans —
especially so many young people out there — to believe that you can make a
difference; to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.
Let me tell you, this generation coming up — unselfish,
altruistic, creative, patriotic — I’ve seen you in every corner of the country.
You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America; you know that constant
change has been America’s hallmark, that it’s not something to fear but
something to embrace, you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy
forward. You’ll soon outnumber any of us, and I believe as a result the future
is in good hands."
-President Barack Obama
To the President and First Lady,
Thank you. Thank you from the deepest, warmest part of my heart. Thank you for leading by example - with grace, courage, strength, humor, compassion and hope. Thank you for your selfless stewardship of the highest office of our land, a responsibility that has poisoned lesser men with the promise and realization of great power and may well do so again. Thank you for fighting for justice and equality. For deeming us all, every human from every walk of life, worthy and valuable. Thank you for being the cutest darn couple of all time and showing us all what true love can look like. Thank you for sharing your true selves with us. Thank you for building us up, not tearing us down. For breaking barriers and shattering glass ceilings. For making us laugh. Thank you for being the kind of leaders we'll tell our children about someday. I'm not sure if we'll ever see a Presidency like this again, but I will cherish the memory of yours forever.
For all of this and more, I thank you. And I promise you. I promise to be my best self moving forward. To follow the example you set. I promise to fight for justice, equality and the notion that we are all worthy of love and respect. I promise to love violently and fight hatred and ignorance peacefully. I promise to use my privilege to help someone other than myself. I promise to be kind. To take the high road even when I really, really, really want to crush a bigot with curse words. I promise to listen so I can be a better ally. I promise to acknowledge my own shortcomings. To call my lawmakers. To march, protest and picket when necessary. I promise to smile. I will remember to laugh. Above all, I promise you I won't lose hope. Even when I'm drowning in a flood of fatalistic anxiety, I will find a way to come up for air. Because in the face of such terrifying uncertainty, we need something to hold onto. And I choose hope.
I hope - and truly believe - that our generation is on the cusp of something great. We are coming into our own, fueled largely by a deeply-held belief that all men are indeed created equal, to change the world for the better. And I promise you, I will be a part of that change, in whatever way I am able to do so.
Yes, We Can
Yes, We Did
Yes, We Will
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