It's your turn now, graduates

"It is only the ignorant who despise education."

-Publius Syrus (42 B.C.)

Knowledge. Education. Learning. Growth. No matter how old we get, learning is imperative. One can never learn enough.

Each of us learns something new every single day. Sure, it might not be as complicated as a foreign language, physics or calculus. It may just be a new neighbor’s name or that the price of gas dropped a penny.

Regardless of what that something is, learning it has expanded our knowledge base and our perception of the world around us. And that knowledge, in turn, helps us make important decisions every day.

High school graduates also have important decisions to make - continuing their education or heading straight into the job market. Then there's marriage, family and other important life choices.

For high school seniors, these next few months of summer are the last of their childhood. It's a time for sunny days at the lake, sleeping late, last flings with their friends. Because once summer is over, adulthood will be staring them smack in the face.

And now that May has arrived, graduation day is quickly approaching – tomorrow for Taylor County High students and next Friday for Campbellsville High students.

This is a time of jubilation and excitement for teenagers. At the same time, it’s often a time of anxiety for their parents.

Letting go is often difficult for most of us who have been parents. We hope that we’ve taught our children right from wrong and equipped them with the tools they’ll need to make good decisions in life.

Congratulations, graduates, the future is no longer a hazy mist ahead of you … it is here. And we wish you all the best.