Recently, I graduated high school, and honestly, it was something that I dreaded. Although I was excited for college, I was upset about separating from the ones I cared about, and anxious about completely changing my daily life. My teachers and family told me to be happy and that graduation should not be a sad occasion. Well, frankly, I disagree. While graduation is still something to celebrate, I also believe that it is okay to feel sad or anxious. I say that it is certainly okay, normal even, to feel any of these ways, especially since Leslie Knope and her friends felt them too.
1. Happy
Of course graduates are happy. Completing this chapter of our lives has been challenging and we are happy, not only about our achievements, but to have made it this far.
2. Exhausted
3. Relief
WE DID IT! During this journey, there were moments where we did not think we would finish. Whether it was a difficult paper, a tough teacher, or final exam, at some point we had something looming over our heads and it is a relief to no longer have that worry, for now.
4. Accomplished
Reaching this milestone is something to be proud of! We worked hard to arrive at this point and we, hopefully, can look back on the past few years proud of everything we diligently worked to achieve.
5. Sad
Despite the elation and lighthearted mood of graduation, there are twinges of sadness. We have all developed and nurtured meaningful relationships with friends, family, and teachers. Now everything is about to change and it is saddening to worry that some things will never be the same.
6. Excited
We have just completed a chapter of our lives and accomplished our goals. To say we are eager to take on the world, try new things, and continue to grow and find ourselves would be an understatement.
7. Scared
Although we are excited to see what the future holds, it is also frightening to realize our daily, normal routines are going to change. Everything that has been constant and ordinary will no longer be standard in our day-to-day lives. Heading out into a new, unknown phase of life can be scary, regardless of how prepared we feel we are.
8. Confused
Even though we made it to graduation, we are still confused as to how we managed to do so. "How did we force ourselves to stay up so late?" "How did we pass our classes with all the procrastinating we did?" "How did we manage to get out of bed in the morning?" In addition to the initial confusion of how we made it, we are also confused about what to do from here. "What do we do now?" "What are we supposed to do with our lives?"
9. Thankful
Despite the diligence and perseverance we put into the past four years, we would not have made it this far without the help of others. Our loving and helpful families, friends, and teachers pushed us along, motivating and encouraging us to put forth our best effort and keep on to the finish line. Their love, support, and guidance helped us reach this milestone, whether we want to admit it or not, and we can not thank them enough.
10. Stressed
Although we successfully made it to graduation, we are still stressed about what happens next. Trying to control and work on plans that will prepare and enable us to take on the next chapter of our lives can be overwhelming.
11. Regretful
We all worked hard throughout the past four years but we still have regrets. We regret not starting on an assignment earlier in the week. We regret not trying out for a certain team or role. We regret not always standing up for what we believed. We regret not always acting like who we really are.
12. Grown Up
Even though we have grown and matured throughout this journey, for whatever reason, we all seem to think that we are "grown." We are independent and have learned countless lessons and skills but we still have some growing to do (and we are secretly okay with that.)
13. All of them at the same time
Graduation is a milestone and accomplishment that marks the beginning and end of chapters in our lives. We have been emotional, crazy, dramatic, and a little insane. This experience is a lot to handle and sometimes we do not know how to handle it well... and that is okay.
