When I was a little girl, my father told me that there were only two rules: 1) obey all the rules and 2) “memoryize” all the rules. My dad was a professor (Early Childhood Education) and a very smart man, but I did not teach my children or grandchildren those rules. I taught them my mother’s rules instead. She was a math professor and is a very wise woman, and she had three rules. I teach her rules to my students. I will not have any of you in class this year, so I am sharing them with you now.

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1. Take care of yourself first

 

      so that you can

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2. take care of the others who live here

 

      and that you can

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3. take care of this place.

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Taking care of yourself first is not selfish. It means eating, drinking, sleeping, and living wisely so that you do not create health or behavioral issues for yourself that will force someone else to take care of you or that will cause those people who love you grief or worry. It means building a support network and asking for help when you need it. It means doing what you are supposed to do at this stage of your life—study, learn all you can about as many different things as you can, acquire important skills, grow in personal strength and wisdom, take advantage of the opportunities in front of you, and prepare for the responsibilities that come with adulthood.

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If you take care of yourself you position yourself to contribute to the wellbeing of others, including family, friends, associates, and fellow students, and, I hope, humankind. How you contribute will depend on your personal, professional, and political decisions. The better prepared you are for many different situations, the better you will be able to handle a variety of challenges.

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By taking care of yourself and others, you will be able to take care of your corner of the world. Most people do not have the opportunity to make a BIG difference, but everyone can make something better for someone and someplace every day. Small differences add up to a BIG difference over time…and they can lead to opportunities to make BIG differences. Taking care of this place requires thought, effort, recognition of the difference between “I want” and “I need”, and a lot of courage.

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I teach ecology, the science of the environmental factors that determine the abundance and distribution of organisms. I tell my students as often as I can that my job is to teach them what they need to know to save the world. I mean that sincerely. You are members of the next generation of adults, and as such, you (singular) are responsible for the wellbeing of your corner of the world (Behrend, for now)…and you (plural) will inherit the Earth. Take care of her so that you and the others who live here can thrive.