Friday afternoon before the July 1st
long weekend is always exciting. It’s the cursor summer holidays, and perhaps
the most telling sound is the laughter of children in school playgrounds today.
It’s the end of the school year when so countless children — like our grandson
Nicholas, who bids farewell to Grade 4. There are hundreds of Edmonton Grade 12
students who probably could use a few extra hours of sleep today since there
were several graduations Thursday night.
Whether kids are starting kindergarten or
graduating from university, they all have one common denominator: they are our
future. They are going lead our cities, provinces and country. They are going
to provide inspiration and motivation. They will, of course, need help — but
that opens the doors for their family and friends to help. Every student who
graduates or passes into a new chapter this afternoon needs to be celebrated.
In Canada, we celebrate the end of June with
trips to the lake. Maybe the mountains. Maybe even just an afternoon trip to
that special place off the beaten path for a family picnic. We will use our
highways. They will be busy. Perhaps it’s a reminder to slow down, to be
careful, to be alert … to drive safe. It’s a glorious Friday afternoon. Let’s
make everyone has the opportunity to enjoy their full potential, starting
Tuesday morning and many years beyond.