Graduation day is rapidly arriving and all of a sudden you start to realize all of your "lasts". Your last game with your team, your last concert, musical, assembly, last time being forced to run the mile, and eventually your last day. All I can tell you is to take it all in.
On your last day make sure everyone knows the impact they had on your life. Make sure that you get the kid you haven't talked to since 8th grade to sign your yearbook, you will regret it if you don't. Make sure you have every single teacher's signature and farewell, you'll want to look back on them when you need motivation. But most importantly, look around on your last day and look at everyone's faces, filled with smiles and tears, because some of these faces you won't see until your first high school reunion. And when that last bell rings, and your last day is officially over, hug your best friends, and hug your friends that you grew distant from over the years. You all did it together, and without them you wouldn't be the same.
Go to prom and have the time of your life. Even if you don't have a date, please go to prom. Dance with everyone and pull the kid sitting at the table by himself up to the dance floor, and make sure he has a great time as well. Take a million pictures, and when you think you've taken enough, take more. In a year you'll thank me when you have an entire gallery to look back on. Go to the prom after party, because your days with these people are quickly dwindling away so please don't miss a second of it.
Finally the day is here. You slip on your gown, throw on your ridiculous looking cap and are on your way. Look in the mirror. Take it all in; and don't yell at your mom when she tries to snap endless photos of you, because afterward you're going to realize those are the best pictures from the whole night.
As you line up next to your peers, dressed just as ridiculous as you are, you'll get goosebumps as you realize what you are about to walk into. Take as many pictures as you can with all of your friends. There will never be enough. And when you hear the band start to play "Pomp and Circumstance" it's okay to tear up, you're definitely allowed to and everyone else is going to be as well. Find your best friend while you're in the lineup and thank them for everything, and then keep an eye out for where they're going to be sitting. You're going to want to know so that once the ceremony is over you can run directly to them, tears in your eyes, and give them the biggest hug possible.
If you haven't realized already, you should take it all in. While being forced to listen to long speeches just look around. Think about all the memories you have with each and every one of these people. They have all impacted and shaped you in some way, just reflect on that. When you go to get your diploma thank your principles. Even if you weren't close with them, just thank them. They will remember that and mention it to you every time you run into them at the grocery store.
And now it's all over. Your final "last" has come to a close. So while everyone is dispersing off of the football field turn around and look back at it. Remember the homecoming games that you cheered for, the miles that you were forced to run in gym class, and the faces that you have come to love over the past four years. You will want these memories to stick in your head, even if high school wasn't your favorite place in the world.
Lastly, when you say "we need to hang out over the summer" please follow through. Because to your surprise, half the people you wanted to see over the summer you probably won't, and eventually it's too late and you have lost your shot. So follow through, make every day of your last summer before college count, and of course, take it all in. Enjoy every second of it, and I wish you all the best of luck and don't worry, college is ten times better than you can even imagine.
