To the Class of 2020!

To the class of 2020: I was a senior in high school when 9/11 happened. It was our 1st semester of course. A group of the senior class, including myself, were at Jasmine Hill Gardens having Who's Who's and other pics taken for the yearbook. I remember us crowding around a small tv that sit on top of a filing cabinet in their business office watching the news footage, and then going back outside to finish our pictures after knowing what happened. To this day when I take my senior yearbook off the shelf, and look at those pictures I know which ones were taken after the news, you could see the forced smiles, with sadness in our faces behind that. Parents were trying to get a hold of us and this wasn't smartphone days, I didn't even have a cellphone yet just a car bag phone that of course only worked in my car, that I wasn't in that day. Yet school went on. The world stopped that day and major things were closed, but nothing was missed for us. All the activities were finished, I went to my senior prom and never went to sleep because a group of us had to be at the airport at like 5am the next morning to fly to Salt Lake City, UT for our DECA nationals trip. We flew like 8 months after 9/11, it was my first plane ride (we didn't cancel the trip since flights were on again, and trusted God that He would take care of us), I turned 18 in UT and had my 1st limo ride there too, I finished all the exams, went to all the gatherings and parties, walked the field and graduated on time, and went on to college that fall and graduated 5 years later. That somber day happened yet everything kept on going in our little world in small town Alabama, and honestly I think all of our senior activities and excitement kept our minds off of it. I made so many memories my last semester of high school even with 9/11 happening. We just walked right on through it. To the class of 2020, I can't imagine what is going through your minds during this, or the disappointment you may be feeling. I know the rest of your sports activites or other extras you just probably have totally lost, but I trust school officials will do the right thing and you'll get the prom and graduation ceremony you deserve even if it's not how you expected them to be, and something good can come out of this. Our country came through 9/11 stronger than ever, we bounced back and the same can be said of this once we're over the other side of this mountain. The ceremonies, when they do happen, I can only imagine the excited tears and joy that will take place for you and family and friends. God does have a way of turning it all around for His good, even when it doesn't make sense at the time, He is still in control. It wasn't the 2nd semester you expected, but you'll be home where the continued virus doesn't have a chance to spread among school halls, and oh the testimony and story you'll have to tell 18 years from now, like myself! A story of being a high school senior during the year of an event that forever changed our country, and living to tell about it! Y'all truly have my prayers!