Graduation speech from a cicada: Get ready to fly

After 17 years underground, they’re popping up all over the region. The cicadas will be taking front (and middle and back) seats at many of this spring’s outdoor commencements. We figured we might as well offer one of them the microphone and the chance to deliver a message to the Class of 2021. Please join us in welcoming a member of Brood X to the stage.

Thank you for having me. I was planning to come anyway—and maybe even make a stop at the podium—but it’s always a pleasure to be invited. Class of 2021, this is our year! After years of waiting and growing, we are moving to the next level. So, let’s do this—and do it well.

I see the way you’re looking at me. You’re thinking, “How can a cicada have any idea what I should do with my life?” But I’m a quick learner and I’ve picked up on a few things in the time since I crawled out of the ground.

Sometimes you have to burrow out of the ground. It could take 17 minutes or 17 days or 17 years. But when you push yourself through whatever life puts in your way, you’ll find many opportunities await you. You know from the past year that life can push us into challenging situations. Come through those with strength, compassion, and grace and you find that you truly get to shine.

Find your voice—and use it. God gave each of us a song to sing that is ours alone. Not everyone wants to hear it, especially in a world that can be so noisy. Sometimes when I sing, people cover their ears. But your voice is yours, and you’ve been given it for a reason. Be thoughtful and use it as a way of connecting with others, building bridges rather than causing division. Your voice can help you create community, so use it well.

Make the most of the time you’ve been given. The sad (for a cicada) fact of a cicada’s life is that we spend 17 years underground and only a few weeks in the sunshine before we die. But we maximize those weeks. We make our presence known. And we leave a legacy in the children we leave behind who will see you for another joyous cicada reunion 17 years from now. A cicada’s purpose is pretty basic.

But you! You have so much to look forward to! You have a purpose all your own, and you can make a real impact on the world. As you move into this next part of your life, pay attention to what makes you feel most alive. Listen to those around you. Follow your passion, cultivate your talents, and always remember that your gifts are meant to be shared.

Be open to the journey. It’s all right if you don’t know what you want to do today or in five years or in 17. Life doesn’t go according to plan. I don’t need to tell the Class of 2021 about back-up plans and the twists and turns of life. You know how we can come through those unexpected experiences and still write a magnificent personal story.

Don’t be afraid to come out of your shell. You might be looking around at your classmates and teachers and this school you love and wishing you could stay a little longer. That’s understandable. We all feel comfortable staying with the safe and familiar. But you’re destined for more. It’s only by leaving things behind and shedding your shell that you can grow into becoming who you’re meant to be.

So, congratulations, Class of 2021, and welcome to the next amazing chapter of your life. You have a voice. You have wings. You have a purpose that’s all your own. And you’re ready to fly.

Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media

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