Everyone graduates high school with some of their closest friends, the ones they conquered senior year with. But what happens when one of your best friends graduates a year after you? When you say "congrats," is it heartfelt, or are you just bored throughout the whole ceremony? Well, let me tell you, it is a very exciting thing.
I was able to watch my best friend graduate this year -- a year after me. It was weird being in the bleachers of a high school after avoiding them at all costs since my graduation. I had forgotten how uncomfortable, crowded, hot and sweaty gymnasiums were. I definitely don’t miss them, but if it wasn’t for my best friend, I wouldn’t have been sitting there at all -- I’m actually not sure where I would have been that night. All I knew was that I was there to celebrate one of my best friend’s biggest triumphs, and I couldn’t be more proud.
When I say "best friend," I literally mean this is the one person who knows everything about me and has been there to help me grow as a person since a very young age. Being able to say that I knew her during her awkward middle school stage (and have pictures of us both struggling with braces and bad hair) is actually something I take pride in. I haven’t been friends with many people for half of my life. Even though we may have had fights over the years, and there was one time when we didn’t talk for a while, we always found our way back to each other. I’m happy that I have been able to watch her become the amazing, smart, beautiful, strong, weird, loving person she is today. I watched her overcome so many struggles that made the world seem like it was falling apart at the time, and now I get to watch her go off to college and make a good life for herself in the future.
When I first got to her high school for the ceremony, I was nervous for her, for some reason. I just knew that this was what she had been looking forward to since the school year started. I wanted everything to go as smoothly as the person who planned it. When I found a seat (which was difficult, because I was late -- due to not being able to decide what flowers to get her), I started to calm down a little bit. Everyone looked like they were having a good time and were excited for whomever they came to see. Then the lights dimmed, and her class started to enter the gymnasium. I immediately stood and got my phone out to take pictures and videos. When she came around the corner, I didn’t really say anything; I just watched her smiling face make its way to the stage, knowing how nervous she was to have all eyes on her at the moment. She made it to her seat, and the rest of her class found theirs.
The ceremony started, and it was good, just like every other graduation. But I knew that this was amazing for her -- this was it. When the diplomas started to get handed out, I was nervous -- what if I didn’t get a good picture of her? What if my phone froze and I didn’t get a picture at all? Well, none of that happened, and I screamed my head off when her name was called. That was my best friend. She had just graduated from the four years of hell we all know so well. I was really excited for her, now that everything was over and her class was exiting the gym. As soon as I could, I made my way outside to find her. As soon as I found her, I could feel the biggest smile creep across my face, and I embraced her in the biggest hug I may have given her in a year. Honestly, as soon as her arms wrapped around me, I started to tear up. I didn’t think I would cry, but I did cry a little bit, and it makes sense that I did. I was so happy that she had done it -- she had graduated. And now I just can’t wait to cry those same tears in another four years when she receives her undergraduate diploma.
