Farewell

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My dear Students:
    I want to say something to you today which I feel would not be appropriate to say at tomorrow's dinner that you are going to give in honor of us teachers. Today's words are not congratulatory, but words of advice and warning.
   The time has come for me to retire, not only because I have come to the age of retirement, but also, after forty-five years of teaching. I am physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted. You are probably the last class I shall ever teach. My hopes for you are high, and it is my fervent prayer that you will not disappoint me. During the past years, I have been deeply unhappy to see many of my students forget the warmth and enthusiasm of their student days only a few years after leaving school. They have become immersed in the sloughs of society and have lost the values and ideals of their youth. What has done this? The pursuit of money and power which has taken hold of their minds and souls.
   Truly, money is important, but it does not deserve to be pursued with the best of your abilities. From the history of mankind, we well know that selfish wealth is something which ruins all that is good and beautiful in life. The pursuit of money for yourself will never satisfy you. The more you get, the more you will want. You will never get enough, and you won't stop pursuing money to the day you draw your last breath.
   Experience has taught me that money brings vice and bitterness, not contentment and happiness. Take myself for instance, I was born in a rich family, and when I grew up, I married into an even richer family. But unfortunately, it was wealth that divided my family and lengthened the distance between me and those near and dear to me. Money deprived me of all the happiness in my life. Money brought me nothing but sorrow and bitter regrets. That is why I hope not one of you will become a millionaire , and lose the true blessings of life, for money can easily bring you misfortune.
    Money is usually accompanied by power and can buy power. Power is often a great temptation to young people. Perhaps you are still too young to realize how terrible power is. I have seen many promising youths who sought power and were destroyed by power.
    It is my hope that each one of you will carry out his own responsibilities and the obligations of his own work to the best of his abilities. Our nation is now going through a life and death struggle, it is the duty of each one of us to do the work best fitted for us, and do it to the utmost of our ability. Each one of you must do your very best for our country and our people. There is an old proverb which says, "A great river is made up of myriads of drops of water.") Each one of you is like a drop water. Alone you are nothing, together you can form a mighty body of water that will be strong enough to turn the wheels of time and circumstance.
    Like young birds, you are soon to leave this nest and fly alone. My hope is that you will not fly too dangerously high, but will fly smoothly and safely through all the storms of life.
   The last point I wish to impress upon you is 'Never depend upon anyone but yourself. Never be lax or careless because you have kind parents, loving friends or powerful relatives to depend upon. Experience has taught me that all these will pass away. In this world of change and uncertainty, what have you to depend on? Nothing, but yourself. You must have strong confidence in yourself, bred from what you have studied and from the experiences gained from your teachers. No one can be by your side always throughout your life. Even though you have a strong family background and influential relatives and friends, they cannot add to or detract from what is truly you. Drink always from the fountain of knowledge, and never be afraid to learn.
    Remember that all love is sacrifice. Your life is not your own, but belongs to your country. If you love your country, you must devote yourself to it.
    Again I repeat, never rely upon anyone for anything. Remember 'God helps those who help themselves.' You are the masters of your fate. It is a poor excuse to say that Fate is your master.
    My sight becomes more and more blurred as I go farther and farther away from the center of this world but you are now approaching that which I am now leaving. I do not feel downhearted or unhappy, for what is taking place is a law of great, mysterious nature. There is always some life growing old and fading away while new life is coming into being and growing and becoming stronger and stronger.
    I have no gift to give you for your graduation. But my little store of knowledge and experience I now pass on to you. There is one parting thought I wish to leave with you. Wherever you go, and whatever you do, act a true Chinese and acting as a true Chinese have been the mainsprings of my life.
    I am proud, not of my meager knowledge, but of the chance that I have had to pass it on, small as it is to you, the younger generation. Please make the best use of what I have taught you. I desire that you should devote all your knowledge and ability to your country throughout your lives.
    Maybe we shall never meet again in the future, but even so, let whatever I have given you during your school years be used by you in your lives, and thus we will never be parted. A part of me will always be with you and the generations that follow you.

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Farewell Address by Lillian Chao