To the Moms and Dads of the Class of 2020

By Sarah McDonald

This year has been full of the unexpected. Words like, unreal, surreal, tragic, heartbreaking have swirled around in my head as ways to describe this time of “stay-at-home.”

In my home, I am blessed to find happiness and grace even amidst the inevitable emotional breakdowns of my five little people who miss their grandparents, their friends, their teachers and their priests.

We pray daily for those who have died, those who are suffering from coronavirus and their families, and those who care for them. But, there is one group of people that I cannot forget – the parents of the class of 2020.

Remember how excited you were for your senior year? You spent those first three quarters of the school year just waiting for that fourth quarter filled with prom, being exempt from exams and all of the things that come with being a senior. You know who else was looking forward to those things for you? Your parents. Today that is you and your pain is palpable.

To the parents of the class of 2020, you are now home with your heartbroken senior. He missed his senior season of baseball. She can’t wear the prom dress she dreamed about all year. Graduation ceremonies are postponed, at the very least.

Here’s the thing, while their emotions are running understandably high, so are yours. You missed cheering him on from the stands and shopping with her for the dress. You don’t know exactly when you’ll get to see your baby walk across the stage and that, too, is heartbreaking.

While I can’t imagine the seniors of 2020’s pain, I can begin to imagine yours. Watching your child be disappointed and sad and miss out on things is more painful than missing out on them yourself.

I want you to know that I am praying for you. I am praying that God gives you the grace to parent your child through these challenges. I am praying that you feel the love of God our father and our Blessed Mother as you experience this pain of uncertainty and unanswerable questions.

To the parents of the Class of 2020, we love you!