Covid 19 has taken a lot from people. The class of 2020 is no exception. Spring ushers in a time of new beginnings. A time of transition. A time of hope. Each spring thousands of seniors look forward to a huge accomplishment and rite of passage: high school graduation. Graduation pictures are taken in the fall. Graduation parties are planned months in advance. There is an air of expectancy. An air of excitement when spring rolls around. Seniors are about to launch into a new stage in their lives. The positive energy in high schools is palpable as graduation approaches.
From the time we enter high school, we are told the wonders of senior year. The class of 2020 will not get to have those experiences. They have lost competitions they may been working towards for the past year (band, choir, sports, etc). They have lost prom. They have lost graduation. These are huge losses which they will not be able to get back. It’s normal for seniors to feel anger, sadness, fear, disbelief, and disappointment.
Resilience is a word I’ve been thinking about a lot. To be very cliché, it’s a silver lining during the storm. The class of 2020 can learn resiliency during this time. They have an opportunity for enormous self-growth. If you are a senior reading this, take heart in knowing that some good can come out of this situation. If you are a parent or loved one of a senior, there are a few things you can do to help foster that resilience:
- Recognize that seniors are grieving. They have lost a lot. Acknowledge that. Let them know you see what they have lost. Let them know what you are there for them in whatever way they need.
- Help them stay connected. Foster ways for them to talk to or see family and friends. If you feel safe enough to have in person meetings, try and arrange that. If you do not feel safe to have face to face meetings, arrange video or phone calls.
- Coping, coping, coping. Seniors are at an interesting stage developmentally. The way they cope is not the way many adults would cope, and that’s ok. If they are coping in healthy ways, let them. This may mean playing video games or watching YouTube. It may mean engaging in creative arts. It may look like a daily run. Allow them to cope in the ways they need to, if it’s not harmful to them or others.
- Celebrate the seniors! There are many creative ways people across the country have been celebrating their seniors. Ask your senior how they want to be celebrated. If it’s reasonable, and within your power, go for it!
- Recognize their emotional highs and lows. Talk to them. Teenagers don’t always want to talk to their parents, and that’s ok. But verbally affirm them. Let them know you see their highs and lows and are available for them when they are ready to talk to you.
- Focus on the future. This is a huge loss for seniors. It’s also especially important to help them see the future. Seniors are getting ready to step into a new stage of life. It’s easy to become stuck in focusing on the past. Do your best to remind them that their future is bright. They will get to have unique experiences in the future.
To all the seniors: congratulations! You have worked extremely hard during an emotionally challenging and stressful time. This is only the ending of one chapter in your life. As Catherine Pulsifer said, “Graduation, a conclusion of one chapter, a beginning of another.” While the chapter may not have ended the way we hoped, it’s the first chapter. There are so many more to come. Congratulations and good luck on the rest of your story.
To health, hope, and healing,
Krista
Hello Admin
I like your post, thanks for this.