Molly Crumpton
Following is an abridged version of the address given by valedictorian Molly Crumpton at the Camden Catholic High School commencement on June 4.
Tonight, I’m going to tell you about a cool game called “best day, worst day.” Not your typical graduation speech. In a book called “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, the characters play this game. The directions are pretty straightforward — everyone goes around and shares the best day of their lives and the worst day of their lives. If you think about it, that’s a pretty deep thing to consider. It’s almost too difficult to deem two single days that were the epitome of all bad days and all good days. What even makes one day so much better than another?
It was interesting for me to relate this to our class. A class who has had its fair share of both good and bad days. What was our best day together? What was our worst? The funny thing is, I bet every single one of us has a different answer. …
But with the good days come the bad days. Our worst day isn’t hard to pick. Sometime in March of 2020, I believe? Who knew the best day ever, the day we were sent home for two weeks, could turn into the worst day ever so quickly. That day was only the start. Online school until summer, no junior prom, sports cancelled, all these new social norms none of us could properly comprehend at the time — it was, and still is, a crazy time to be alive. Yet, we remained optimistic. “Oh it’ll all be back to normal by the time we’re seniors,” we said. “There’s no way this is gonna affect our senior year, don’t worry,” we assured. …
What stood out to me the most, stemming from our worst day, is the immense amount of people who said, “I can’t wait to graduate. That’s gonna be the best day ever.” If I’m honest, this hit me a little bit. I sat there and thought to myself, yea, things aren’t great at the moment, but can we really sit around feeling sorry for ourselves after the incredible adventure we’ve had? All those things, big and little, that have made up these years that we’re never gonna get back? How could the day it all ends possibly be the best day ever? Maybe some of you are sitting here today agreeing, yes, today is the best day ever. And to be honest, I have come to agree with this as well. But not for the reasons you might think. …
Even though the biblical definition of love is often heard at wedding ceremonies, it strangely applies to each one of us as well. Saint Paul writes in First Corinthians: “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast… Love never fails.” Love has literally been the center of our class from the minute we walked through those doors four years ago. How excited were we to embark on this journey together — not alone, but together. We have been patient to get to this day, and we have had every reason to become envious, self-seeking, angered — but we have not. Instead, we have, time and time again, resembled everything love is and should be. We have loved each other unconditionally, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, teachers — every ounce of patience, kindness, modesty, honor, and consideration for each other are small measures of the huge, huge hearts we unite together as one. The days I feel united by love with every one of you are my best days. …
So is today our best day? This moment, right now? For some it might be, but for others it’s rather bittersweet. But we can all admit this day means something. That’s the power of this school, this class. We could be sitting here on the Camden Catholic football field, with or without a graduation ceremony taking place, and create something so immense and beautiful, worthy of becoming our best day together. This day is the day we reflect on our best and worst and become filled with the hope for more good days like this one, regardless of the bad. It is our hope for the good that will bring us the good. Don’t you ever lose that hope. Carry this hope with you as we leave this field today and embark on a new journey. But, before we leave, look around. Seriously, look at the person you’re sitting next to, behind you, next to you — find your best friend, give them a wave, a smile. This moment is one in a million. This is the last time we will ever all sit together in one place, as the Camden Catholic Class of 2021. So please take a minute to cherish it. And if you ever get the chance to play “best day, worse day” again, I hope you remember this day among the best. I hope you remember each other, and the love we share. I hope you think about all of these things for a second, just long enough to smile and say, “I remember that day. That day was ours.”