Commencement Address to Millbrook School, Class of 2002
Written and Delivered by Jody Morrison – what would have been Chelsea’s graduation
May 31, 2002

This is a great day and an important opportunity to share with you one more time. I know this Millbrook Class of 2002. You have shared with me in my greatest sorrow and we now share together again in great celebration. Your celebration.

The joining again of this class and me today exemplifies life’s most basic miracle. Leave be hurdles and crisis, accomplishments and successes, life continues to unleash us. And the human spirit naturally responds in a direct movement forward, to forge on, continue, grow, learn and find joy in these things.

So it is with joy that I acknowledge the successes that have brought you here today.

You move forward with three gifts in your pocket.

The first is your family. Your brilliance did not drop upon you out of the sky but is the direct manifestation of those who love you, witness your person, and criticize you along the way. They give support to your charms and defense to your struggles. Your family is what launches your own individuality. Your family has made great sacrifice for you in these past four years. Find time today to thank them. It is important.

You have the gift of Millbrook School. An environment meticulously designed to provide you a learning environment that now becomes the platform from which your future unfolds. Thank them in continued support in the years ahead. It is important.

And the most powerful gift of all is you. You: the unique individual whose “one voice” makes you irreplaceable to all of the earth’s population. You are ever so important.

With these three gifts you step outside the protective umbrella of your loving family, and the support of Millbrook School with your unique self into the front row of the arena of this small world of ours.

And I believe it is a better world. This class and I have experienced tragedy together but we have also learned from tragedy. Chelsea died. 9/11 was shocking. And we have learned together that everything has a reason and through reason comes Divine Good. Good things can come from tragedy. Good always comes from bad. Always.

Mark Twain made an observation that the human is the only creature to be taught everyday how to becomes more human. “Cows don’t have to be taught how to be a cow,” he observed. Think of that: Birds just go off and fly! But us beings that are human have a great opportunity: by the very act of living each day, we can become more human. What a great concept. What an opportunity! And when you look at it that way, don’t you sort of look forward to each day? Each lesson? Each hurdle? Don’t the hurdles of everyday life themselves become opportunities? They are. That is exactly what a hurdle is.

I believe that each hurdle I confront is a point on the map of my own personal destiny. I believe that they are life’s way of bringing me back onto the path I belong. I believe that each hurdle is an opportunity.

You will encounter hurdles by the very act of living a full life. They come every day. For many of you, this may be the idea that you are about to leave home, or enter college with absolutely no idea of a major in mind. It could be the tug of a needy friend just when you are hitting your stride, or the need of an ear just when you thought you were about as independent as possible. It’s those times when you realize – almost against your will – the difference between your easy wants and your true needs. For me, it is usually when I am so sure that I am standing in the exact place I planned and then the universe conspires to put me on foreign territory. A hurdle is usually when you need to make a choice. It’s always when you need to make a change.

Some are simple, some more difficult. But I have made the choice to believe my hurdles are mine. And if I own them, truly believe these obstacles are the pivots of my destiny, the growing of my character; I can approach them with ease. They are not cement walls. I can stop and view the hurdle clearly. No need to avoid, for fear of losing opportunity. No need to shimmy around it nor take a blind eye. The bottom line becomes not whether I can jump the hurdle but how gracefully can I get over it?

Grace. With desire to take my hurdles gracefully, a remarkable effect is imposed on both my process and the end result. Choosing to gracefully overcome my hurdles removes any notion of blame to others. Anger dissolves and there is no room for pity to my circumstances. It is my hurdle. While focusing on my own ability, my own responsibility, to take my hurdles gracefully, an unshakable strength, a firmness of mind settles in. My hurdles become the fertile ground to challenge my purpose, my beliefs, and to strengthen those things.

Even in the worst of circumstances, I promise you will have a profound sense that you have just cleared a hurdle. With grace, you have pivoted in the direction of your life path, read the road signs and taken a lesson meant only for you. By taking your hurdles with grace you will never live in a state of “dis-grace.”

And while I would never wish this upon you, you can probably assume that at least once in your life you will not be looking at a hurdle, but at a crisis. A frightening and overwhelming event. Becoming a world-class hurdling athlete will not make you immune. It happened to me. It happened to New York City. It happened to the United States of America. And we have learned where grace is used; there is a redefining, a new resolve, an inner strength. Good can come from crisis.

The Chinese, whose centuries-old written language provides astounding wisdom, offers a great support for their concept of “crisis”. Their language, written in characters, has an interesting translation of the word “crisis.” It is written in the form of combining two characters, one above the other. If you isolate the top character, it literally translates into “danger.” When you isolate the second, lower character just below, it translates as “opportunity.” “Crisis” equals “danger” plus “opportunity”. And there is that word again.

If you remember just one thing I say today, I hope it is this: God created you in His image. You are a creator. Remember the three gifts in your pocket. Your Family, Millbrook School and your unique self, and blend them always to create your voice. You are a creator! And the power of your voice can make this a better world. I know this is true. It happened to me.

In the end, I am just “Jody.” I have no more talent or tool than each of you. There is no profit for me in working to eliminate the conditions that caused guaranteed death on a 104-mile roadway that I will never use. But it is my responsibility to use my voice. One voice. It really just comes down to a few things in my pocket: my family, my education and my uniqueness that leads to my successes.

A quick story: I wrote a letter to Mayor Giuliani of NYC requesting that he acknowledge the two young policemen who came to my door that Sunday afternoon, as no person can be trained to have such compassion and kindness as those two men had for me. I don’t know why I did it. I just did. And I forgot about it.

Almost a year later I received a call from a stranger who asked if I was the mother who wrote the letter. After a few check points in the introduction of the conversation, she burst, “I found you! I found you! Do you know that your letter is in the back offices of every police precinct throughout NYC? Do you know that the Chief of Police of Brooklyn has kept a copy of the letter in his wallet every day since he read it? That he has handed out hundreds of copies? Do you know that that letter has been read at the graduation of cadets into the Police Force?” I did not. But I knew one thing. The power of ‘one voice’ can change others forever.

And yes, there will be hurdles, and there my be crisis, but with focus on these being the pivots of your own life map and a personal grace activated, you deepest struggles will become your greatest strength.

Don’t ever be so taken with you successes or so drowned by your failures that you loose sight of your three gifts. They are there in your pocket. They always will be. They are your power. They give you your voice.

So this is why emotions run so high this morning. This is the excitement that reverberates today. Each of you now steps out into this new world with the power of your “one voice.” And we all honor you as we stand in awe of your potential. Today, each of you begins your own unique journey with your three gifts, your one voice. It is important.

My wish for you is Joy, always Joy … and Grace in your life,

Congratulations, Millbrook Class of 2002.

This is a great day.

Dept of Transportation Letter

September 5, 2000
Mrs. Joanne Morrison
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mr. Robert A Dennison III
Regional Director
New York State
Department of Transportation
4 Burnett Blvd.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

Dear Mr. Dennison,
On January 23, 2000, my 15 year-old daughter Chelsea Lynn was killed at the Hibernia crossing of the Taconic State parkway. On that Sunday afternoon I was hemming a pair of pants for her in my New York City apartment when two policemen came to my door to tell me my daughter was dead. She was a boarding student at Millbrook School and was a passenger in the car of a day student. The two were going to get ingredients for his mothers’ Sunday brunch.

It has taken me more than six months to write to you as my grieving has been so severe, however, recently I have been moved to do whatever I can so that no other mother will ever live through this horrible, yet preventable suffering.

Recently I have spent much time researching the “at-grade” crossings of the Taconic State Parkway.  Your name is on many of the documents, and I believe you should be aware of my efforts.  An article in the Poughkeepsie Journal titled “Deadly Taconic Roads Resist Safety Changes” written by Mary Beth Pfeiffer on Sunday, March 5, 2000 is enclosed.  I have obtained the studies done by the Department of Transportation in 1970 suggesting all at-grade crossings be closed (14 years before my daughter was born).  I have minutes from the Northern Dutchess Alliance meetings from May 27, 1997 through November 17, 1999.  I have personally called the supervisors in the local townships and have been corresponding with those at The Freedom of Information Act and the People for Open Government attempting to obtain the 13 more recent DOT studies of the TSP at-grade crossings to no avail.  Unfortunately, Mr. Dennison, nothing so far has explained to me why District 8 has continued to allow such dangers.  The Poughkeepsie Journal article seems enough proof for anyone.  Every person I have shown it to calls this situation astounding and horrific.

Chelsea’s death has been devastating not only to myself as a single parent, but also to so many more.  She was extremely dear to all who knew her.

My 18-year-old son, her only sibling, cannot begin to recover from his devastation, let alone maintain his honors status at school, participate in sports, prepare for the rigors of applying for college.  He adamantly stands firm on his belief that life is now meaningless.  The two of our lives are filled with grief counselors, medication, tears, nightmares, and deep loneliness for our Dear Sweet Chelsea.

Chelsea’s father, a resident of Florida, is so devastated; most have concluded that his life, for all intents and purposes, is over.

There were more than 950 people at Chelsea’s funeral, most of them young teens who should never have had to be introduced to the experience of death by the loss of one of their most admired contemporaries.  Hardest for me was greeting the mothers who attended the wake, from Chelsea’s nursery School through her boarding school. Their pain and compassion for me was palpable, yet I could see that they were, almost against their will, relieved it was not their child.   “There but for the Grace of God go I” was almost audible.

I am from a family of 10 children.  Chelsea’s father is from a family of 11 children.  Over 30 aunts and uncles, and more than 50 first cousins remain in shock that the first and only tragedy of our huge and blessed family was the untimely death of such a beautiful and kind child.  Cousins continue to see grief counselors; grandparents question the amount of years they have been given, and sisters are almost embarrassed that their own children are well and healthy.

And the person I would hope you consider most closely is the young 17 year old boy who was driving the car, crossing at Hibernia, an at-grade crossing he should have NEVER been expected to negotiate.  Many statistics come to mind, none of which you are unaware; however, the fact that 60% of traffic accidents on the TSP are due to ‘failing to yield to on-coming traffic’ and that this young man received a TICKET for the same both astounds and angers me.

I enclose for you three photos of my Chelsea.  One, when she was just four years old, one with her brother at Salisbury School where she visited to see his play, and the last is Chels on Christmas vacation with her cousin Michael – the last photograph taken of her before her death less that three weeks later.

Also enclosed are three of over 800 letters I received and answered.  Not only will you learn of the kindness and generosity of my daughter, but the devastation these children are going through.

I know this is a difficult letter to read.  It is difficult to write.  But I want you to know who I am, a little of my beautiful daughter Chelsea, and of my commitment to see EVERY at-grade crossing on the Taconic State Parkway closed.  Immediately.  No scenery could be more beautiful than my daughter, no farmer could produce the joy she brought to all who knew her, and no business could offer the future more productivity than Chelsea’s enthusiastic ability to be part of and contribute to this small earth of ours.

I will begin to do all that I can to end these tragic accidents.  I hope that you understand my concern and dedication to the closing of all at-grade crossings of the Taconic, and hope you will do all that you can.  It is my job as a parent to keep my children safe, and your job as the Commissioner of District 8 to keep your constituents safe.

Sincerely,

Joanne Morrison

cc: Joseph Boardman
     Commissioner
     NYS Department of Transportation