Unified Commencement
Graduate Address

My name is Christy Potter-Kass. I have spent the past four years at Moravian Theological Seminary training to be a pastor. Today I have been asked to speak for just three minutes. Yeah, Good luck with that.

On January 1 of this year, my husband, Guy, and I adopted a senior rescue dog we’ve named Luna. Luna had been found as a stray in New York City with completely matted fur, dehydrated, and rotting teeth. They took her to a high-kill shelter where she was scheduled to be put down because of her age and because she has a heart murmur. Beyond that, we don’t know her back story. 

We don’t know where she came from, we don’t know what happened to her before she came into our lives. But what we do know is that this little dog has taught us one of the most valuable lessons we have ever learned and that I am sharing with you today. And that is this: 

It’s never too late.

A year ago, Luna was days away from being put down. This morning, she woke me up by jumping on me, sneezing in my face, then immediately licking my nose. If you have a dog, you’ll understand how this kind of wake-up call is similar to a military strike. But every morning, Luna is happy enough just to be alive. 

It’s never too late.

I am about to get my master’s degree, and I just turned 50. Most people my age are starting to think about retirement soon, and I’m just about to start on an entirely new career as a minister. 

It’s never too late.

All of us, regardless of our degree or our ages, are on the cusp of something new. And today we will take our diplomas and hang up our caps and gowns and start down a new path. And that path may be a straight shot through the rest of your life, but chances are, it won’t be. 

Sometimes, everything will be awesome. You’ll have those times when everything in your life is going well, and everything you touch turns to gold, and every day it’s like little fireworks going off all around you: *pow*pow*pow* MY LIFE ROCKS.

But other times, like Luna, you’ll find yourself lost and hungry. Sometimes, like Luna, you’ll find yourself facing a world that is dark and scary and lonely. Sometimes, like Luna, you’ll find yourself in a situation that feels hopeless, like there’s no way out, and your breath is terrible and your fur is matted and life is just kind of crappy.

But there is always a way out. There is always someone who believes in you. There is always a new path for you. 

It’s never too late. 

Until the moment you draw your last breath, it is never too late. 

So love each other. Let other people love you.

When you fall, get back up.

When you’re up, help someone who’s down.

Always do the right thing. It sounds simple, but it isn’t. 

Stay open to what comes next. Remember where you’ve been… but remember you don’t have to let it define you.

And remember, no matter where you are, no matter what’s going on… it’s never too late. It’s never too late to make a new start, to start down a new path, to find your new tomorrow. 

So be like Luna: jump on the bed, sneeze in someone’s face, lick a nose or two. Because it’s never, never…too late.