One time, Dr. Seuss said, “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” The problem with this is that we don’t always completely appreciate the moments that end up being so special to us in the end. This is exactly what I’ve done.

For some reason, it didn’t quite hit me that graduation would be the very last time I sat in a room with every single one of my classmates. I will never see some of you again, and I will miss it.

I will never cheer from the band stands again because we scored a touch down. I will never dance at a show choir competition again. I will never sit in Mrs. T’s room for lunch ever again. There’s always a last time, and for some reason I didn’t understand that the last times really were the last times, and now they’re gone. I will miss every single one of those last times so much.

But, for all the last times we’ve already passed, there’s gonna be so many first times. We’re all going onto new things: college, jobs, the military, traveling, getting married, starting a family, and so much more. There are so many new things we’re going to do. That’s what makes this whole thing so bittersweet. These new things are so exciting, but it’s really sad to leave the old ones behind.

Enjoy these new things. I’m so excited to see what all of us go on to do because I know we’re capable of some awesome, but also pretty crazy things. Enjoy every single new moment, because eventually, they’ll be last moments too.

Thank you so much for the last thirteen years. Thank you for the laughs, cries, and happy memories. Thank you for not bullying me when I got bangs, but for laughing with me because I have ugly feet. Thank you for growing up with me, for playing with me on the playground, for slowly, or very quickly in my experience, watching our GPA’s drop, and for throwing your caps in the air with me, just a few days ago. Thank you again for the last thirteen years of our lives. I can’t wait to see where you all go and what you all do, and just know that I miss you already.