To all the girls in Year 13, and your parents:

We had such a wonderful time today, Thursday 25 June, celebrating your time at Channing. Many people asked me at the end of this evening’s celebrations for a copy of the words with which I ended my speech…so here they are:

They were adapted from a piece by Robert Holden, first published in “Caduceus” in 1997.

“There is no future! This is not a message of despair; it is simply a statement of truth. Save not, therefore, your best for the future. Do not wait to give your best to the next job, the next relationship, the next person you meet, the next time you are afraid. Give your best now!

The good news is, “The present is here, now”, and the present moment is the perfect moment. Often we refer to roots and connections of words from ancient languages, from Sanskrit or Latin, for example, to give us help and guidance. Well, closer to home, it is helpful to note that in English, the word “present” has three distinct meanings: “here”, “now” and “a gift”.

It is true that the greatest gifts are always and only available to us here and now.

The truth is, when it comes to the “here and now” you can be what you want.


If you want love, be loving.
If you want care, be caring.
You can be what you want.

If you want joy, be joyful.
If you want peace, be peaceful.
You can be what you want.

If you want happiness, be happy.
If you want kindness, be kind.
You can be what you want.

If you want forgiveness, be forgiving.
If you want acceptance, be accepting.
You, oh wonderful class of 2009, can be whatever you want.”