To the Class of 2026,
We live in a world full of noise.
Social media keeps our eyes on screens at all hours of the day. A 24/7 news cycle constantly bombards us with information—and often tempts us toward division.
So today, I want to leave you with three simple ideas:
Regret. Freedom. Gratitude.
Regret
For most of my life, regret was something to avoid.
Maybe you’ve heard the same message I did growing up: live with no regrets.
But Paul David Tripp helped me see regret differently.
Regret, at its best, is a form of clarity. It is seeing your past more truthfully. It is a prompt toward humility and growth. For those who follow God, it can even be a wake-up call—revealing patterns, priorities, or misaligned desires.
In other words, regret isn’t the enemy. It’s a signal.
It tells us that something in our lives has drifted from who we intended to be.
And here’s the truth: you will have regrets. That’s unavoidable.
But there are two ways to carry them.
You can carry regret as shame—letting it define you, labeling yourself by your worst moments.
Or you can carry it as wisdom—letting it refine you and help you make better decisions moving forward.
My challenge to you is this:
Live reflectively.
Do not personalize your failures.
Learn from them.
Let your regrets become course corrections that guide you toward the person you want to be.
Freedom
We often define freedom as doing whatever we want.
But I see it differently:
Freedom is not doing whatever you want. It’s having nothing to hide.
You are entering a world where the line between private and public is shrinking. What you say, what you post, what you do—it all has a way of lasting.
So live in a way that can withstand being seen.
The Stoic philosopher Seneca taught that true freedom is rooted in inner integrity, not external permission. And that’s exactly right.
When you live with integrity—when your private life and public life are aligned—you experience a kind of freedom that no one can take from you.
Because you have nothing to hide.
And interestingly, the more you live this way, the fewer regrets you will carry.
Gratitude
Gratitude is not pretending life is perfect.
It is seeing clearly what is already good.
In a world that constantly highlights what is broken, gratitude becomes an act of clarity—and even resistance.
I like to think of gratitude as the gateway to perspective.
And perspective is honest.
It doesn’t ignore what’s wrong. But it refuses to ignore what’s right.
It reminds us that, despite challenges, there is still so much to be thankful for.
But gratitude is fragile—especially in the age of comparison.
You are growing up in a world where it’s easy to compare your everyday life to someone else’s highlight reel. And when that happens, gratitude begins to disappear.
So be intentional.
Write down what you’re grateful for.
Notice it.
Name it.
On hard days, remind yourself of what is still going well—even the basics: a place to live, food to eat, people who care about you.
Gratitude may not change your circumstances.
But it will change your relationship to them.
In Closing
Class of 2026,
I believe in you.
I believe in your potential.
I believe in the future you will help shape.
And I believe your best days are ahead.
As you move forward:
Be curious about your regrets.
Live in a way you are proud of when it is seen.
And practice gratitude—daily, intentionally, consistently.
Notice what is good.
See it.
Cherish it.
And as you step into this next chapter:
Know that we see you, we value you, and we welcome you into the greater society.