Christos Anesti! Christ is risen! As we continue to bask in the light of the Resurrection and our glorious Pascha, our attention has been drawn to two very important groups of young people in our parish: our high school and college graduates. In April we honored our graduating college and graduate students, and we’ll be recognizing (of course, we refuse to say "goodbye") our high school graduates on May 6th, during our Godparents’ Sunday/Sunday School Graduation Celebration. The achievements of all of our graduates have been many--academic excellence and honors, athletic prowess, victory after victory in tournament after tournament, public service and important outreach projects, accomplishments on the stage and in prestigious chorales, just to name a few. The list goes on and on.

And what lies ahead is equally impressive: FSU, Law School, West Point, Harvard — not a bad list.

These kids — but they're not "kids" at all — are inspiring. They're smart, energized, creative and accomplished. There's no doubt our graduates have made deep and lasting imprints on their high schools, colleges, friends, instructors, guidance counselors and colleagues.

But there's no imprint like the one they've made on our hearts. Through the years, you've known many of them as babies. You've seen their baptisms, held their parents' hands in difficult times, watched them go from toddlers to Altar Boys and GOYA members. You've seen the youthful wonder in their eyes as they gazed upon their first Paschal candles; you taught them to sing "Christos Anesti" and showed them how to fold a palm the "Patmos way." You can't believe that just a few years ago you were helping them zip up their coats — and now they're teaching Sunday School — they were children yesterday; and today, somehow, they're bright, shining adults. Some you met several years ago, when they moved to Tallahassee for college. In a short period of time, you were moved by their smiling, cheerful attitudes, willingness to pitch in, their leadership with our youth, and their heart-warming commitment to our parish.

For all of these young adults—especially for our high school graduates—this is a time of transition. Transition is exciting, inspiring and exhilarating, but like anything worthwhile, it is also scary. There is the unknown, the yet-to-be-realized. The challenges to come are new, more substantial and complicated than those in the past, and will be played out on unfamiliar territory. We've all been there.

So the bottom line is that they needed you then and they need you now. They can zip up their own coats and wipe their own noses at this point — so what do they need from you? The answer is simple: your prayers, loving support, enthusiasm, some last-minute hand-holding … encouraging phone calls, a care-package from time to time, a big hug and good conversation when they come home to visit. They don't need to be told "what to do" anymore, but they do need to be told exactly how much they mean to you — to know that they matter in your life. Your long-term interest in these beloved young people will represent to them a profound connection to our parish, to their faith, to their past and yours. This connection is one to be maintained, nurtured, and cherished. These imprints are forever!

We are proud of our graduates. But more than that, we love and respect them. They are our past, they play a vital role in our present, and they are the veritable future of our parish and Orthodox faith. May they be blessed with wonderful experiences and challenges, learning more about the world and themselves each day; may they be safe and always follow the good path laid out before them. We know the good Lord blessed the children during His earthly ministry, and wanted them near Him—may our graduates always stay close to Him.