The annual ritual of high school graduation is upon us.

On Sunday, several area schools, including Fort Dodge Senior High, St. Edmond Catholic School, Manson Northwest Webster High School and others, will hold their commencement exercises.

Each ceremony is a familiar ritual. Excited graduates in caps and gowns will arrive to the accompaniment of “Pomp and Circumstance.” Friends and relatives sitting in the stands will nudge each other and say “Look, there she is.”

Hundreds of photos will be snapped. There will be speeches, and it’s a pretty safe bet that someone will read the Dr. Seuss poem “Oh, The Places You’ll Go.”

The graduates, no doubt, will be experiencing a range of emotions. They will be excited about starting the next phase of their lives. They will be happy to receive the diplomas they worked so hard for. And some may be even a little sad about the prospect of soon being apart from friends that, in some cases, they have been with since kindergarten or first grade.

In some way or another, all of the graduates will be thinking that endless opportunities await them. Now is the time for them to believe that all things are possible.

Our advice to the graduates: never lose that feeling. Never lose that sense that all things are possible if you are willing to work for them.

We urge you, the Class of 2022, to always keep that fundamental optimism. Cling to it because it will help you through all the ups and downs, the good days and the bad days, that are yet to come as you make your mark in the world.

Congratulations, graduates.