“Graduating high school is not the end, it’s just the beginning,” said every person ever during my entire junior and senior years of high school.

Two weeks ago today, I made the greatest milestone of my life thus far. Walking across the WSU EJ Nutter Center to shake the hands of beloved faculty members and receive my long-awaited and well deserved High School Honors Diploma from Franklin High.

Let’s flashback to two weeks ago, Graduation day, May 22. How many mixed emotions can you have within the same day? I reached seven.

Emotion #1: Fear. On graduation day I woke up instantly frightened. Is this really it, the end of it all? Is it really happening all in one day, today?

Emotions #2 & 3: Happiness and joy. After being frightened out of my bed I realized how great this day is. I mean, it IS graduation and I HAVE waited 13 years of my life for this day, this moment, this milestone to occur.

Emotion #4: Overwhelming sadness. As the day continued I tried with everything in me to think about anything other than the changes that tonight would bring. The end of friendships, the closing of every nonchalant “hi-hello” hallway conversation you took for granted, and the end to seeing everyone all in one spot. I knew I would cry. When I would burst into tears was the real question. At approximately 3 p.m. I broke, after applying my waterproof make-up, so I was still in luck.

Emotion #5: Anger, tremendous anger. I knew how I wanted my hair to be styled under my cap, after last years’ commencement ceremony… Needless to say I was sure of what I wanted, and was determined to accomplish the hairstyle. After spending nearly two hours on my 26 inch blonde hair and not receiving the results I longed for, I was happier than ever, obviously.

Plot twist, because surprisingly I was actually furious. Terribly angered. I could not deal. “This is only the biggest day of my life, not a big deal at all, and my hair looks terrible. Everyone will be looking at my hair!” I shouted to my mother who did not know how to deal with her screaming daughter.

Emotion #6: Rejection. Nope. No. So not happening. At about 5 p.m., ten minutes before I was scheduled to leave my house (actually ten minutes late, but we won’t even go there), I had a break down. I totally denied that I was graduating. “I’m not going. I can’t, I won’t, I don’t want to,” I shouted to my mom.

Thank Jesus for mommies who endure our teenage rants, because I know my momma deserves a shout-out. Sometimes I am humorous when I rant, other times, not so much. In between deep hold-in-your-tears breaths, I yelled, “I didn’t sign up for high school to end, I only signed up to go – forever!” Humorous because it doesn’t really make sense, humorous because I was as serious as a five year old who asks if the boogieman is real.

Emotion #7: Insanity.

Yup, I reached it. I hit insanity at about 5:25 p.m. I was running late, I always run late but never do so happily, therefore my mind and emotions were in a far-fetched blur. Everything was running together. I picked up my best friend and wanted to cry. Why was it ending? Why do I have to go? Why do I have to speak in front of the hundreds of proud people attending? Why didn’t I reread my speech eight hundred ninety nine times today? But why would I do that anyways? Oh yeah, because I have gone insane!

Arriving at the Nutter Center the emotions began to replay. Overwhelming sadness, happiness and joy, tears flowed, laughter erupted, conversations of congratulations to people you didn’t speak to and won’t for years happened, and pictures with the very ones you spent every day with were taken. This is the beginning of the end – I promise, it’s the end.

You walked across the stage you did it! Congrats. Now what?

Now, you have the thrills of a lifetime, because the 12 years of your life spent at school are so over. You have 3 months of complete freedom before spending the next 2, 4, 6, or 12 years in school again (I cried a tear just typing that).

So don’t cry, don’t worry, don’t stress. Live the three months like its your last, because THIS, right now, THIS is life as you know it. Promise me you’ll embrace it. Love it. Enjoy it.