With the last cap thrown, the last tassel turned, and the last notes of Pomp and Circumstance played, we have experienced another graduation season. We celebrated two graduates in our family – an 8th grade advancement and a High School graduation. These wonderful occasions provided plenty of time for reflecting and reminiscing on past graduations and what’s transpired since. Interesting to note that graduation attire may be one of the most lasting trends in fashion.
A widespread tradition is the guest speaker at graduation. Whether it’s Taylor Swift (NYU) or Deborah Lipstadt (YU), the goal is to send the graduates forth into the world inspired and fortified with some wisdom. I think Dr. Seuss and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks have a common message that’s most relevant for graduates and non-graduates alike.
Since Theodor Seuss Geisel published Oh, the Places You’ll Go in 1990, it has become an iconic go-to graduation gift. Every May, it soars back up the bestseller list. It’s a title as firmly associated with graduation as pumpkins are with Halloween or turkeys with Thanksgiving. Here are some highlights:
"Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!...
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go…
And
will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)...
Except when you don’t. Because, sometimes, you won’t…
On and on you will hike, And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are…
I’m afraid that sometimes you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you…"
The book encourages us to reach for the stars and that anything is possible. Except when we won’t or don’t or can’t. While touting endless possibilities, it offers a healthy dose of realism. Graduates should be encouraged to pursue their dreams even if sometimes they won’t succeed. Failure is part of the journey.
Rabbi Sacks finds a similar lesson in the story of the spies. How could 10 leaders of the Jewish people fail so miserably? Why did they bring back such a negative report when they knew their mission was to lead the nation into Israel? Rabbi Sacks, marshalling various commentaries, explains that the spies failed in their mission because they were afraid to fail. They knew what they had to do, but they also knew it would be challenging. That overwhelming challenge frightened them. They started to think: What happens if we don’t succeed? And so they orchestrated a strategy by which the people would stay in the desert.
They were wrong to avoid the challenge. The possibility of failure is part of the experience. As Rabbi Sacks notes: Fear of failure causes us to fail. The willingness to fail is what allows us to succeed.
So, my dear graduates – and non-graduates. I leave you with the eternal wisdom of Dr. Seuss and Rabbi Sacks. Ultimately, it is a Torah lesson:
Oh,
the places we’ll go! Strap in for the journey. We have so much potential.
We have been fortified with the lessons of education, religion, teachers, parents, and ancestors, and can, please God, accomplish great things.
There will be challenges and setbacks. Embrace them. Learn from them. Grow from them. Take risks!
Take one new risk in your life. Undertake a commitment that frightens you a little and know that when you do so, that is part of your journey.
It can be large – like Daf Yomi or to run a marathon – or small – one act of kindness or an extra blessing a week. Embrace the challenge and be willing to fail.
“You’ll
get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many
strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great
tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be
dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.”
