Well, the time has come. We woke up today refreshed with the thought that it is over, but overwhelmed with the feeling that we are losing something. Which, we are, indeed, losing something. We are losing all of these amazing people that we have grown to know and love. Yet, we are about to gain the world. Change is in the atmosphere, and the thought of throwing our caps up in celebration, and taking a breath of fresh air as a high school graduate is heavy on our hearts.

Our parents will wake us up this morning, and we will take extra time getting ready. Careful detail will be added to our hair and makeup. We have had our outfit planned for weeks, and known how we will wear our hair, and how we will smile for all the pictures because this day is so utterly important. This is the day that we walk across the stage, and with tears in our eyes, and accomplishment in our minds, we take the diploma that we have worked so hard for over the past 12-13 years.

I can’t explain how proud I am for all of you. How completely excited I am to watch all of you grow even more as people over the next few years at college, the military, or whatever it is that you plan to do. Most of us probably won’t stay in touch, and we will never be as close as we are right now, but that is okay. It’s okay because we had our turns with each other, and there were twists and turns. Sometimes, I would have rathered to drop out than see some of you, but that is how families work. We fought, made up, and did it over again a hundred times. We are a family, through the good and the bad. Somehow we always know what each other needed. We would fight, but then we would drift back to each other. Like the big lunch table debacle, and how it looked like friendships were ruined, but a month later everyone was back in good graces and friends again. That’s how family works. We scream, fight, and everything in between, but in the end we are together.

I know that tears will spill at graduation because we will miss each other so much, but we are so ready for the world. I don’t think the world could ever be ready for us, but that isn’t important. What is important now, is that we hold on to these memories. We have to cherish every moment.

I have heard so many people say that high school is the time of your life, and I used to laugh and say “whatever” or “yeah right”, but here we are. I am looking around at all of you, and maybe they were right. I mean, sure classes were awful, and half the time I am pretty sure I was sleeping. But think about it; this is the last time we will all be forced to be somewhere together, the last time that we will all see each other this happy all together, and the last time we will see some of our best friends. Sure, we have the summer, and that will be the sweetest one, because we aren’t going back to an ordinary classroom when it’s over. But maybe there is some truth in the “best time of our life” I know that even though there were ups and downs, the ups were so amazing.

There are some moments that I would live in from high school. There are some times that I wish to erase from my mind. But all of you are so genuinely amazing, and truly made my high school experience unforgettable. All of you played such an important role in shaping me into the person that I am and will become in the years to come. For that I am forever indebted to you. Hold on to these memories, because they’re once in a lifetime things. Cry when you do something for the last time, laugh every chance you get, cherish everything. This is it guys. This is our last day as high school seniors, and my heart is so full. Thank you again, and congratulations.