My senior year of high school was one to remember. Choosing where I'll be spending the next four years of my life, the last homecoming week, senior nights, and the last time sitting in a homeroom class. It was a whirlwind, and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with any other people. Living in the same town my whole life allowed me to build relationships with my classmates and teachers that most don't get the chance to in their lifetime. My school was more like a "family" atmosphere than a building where we were all forced to go to for 180 days of the year. As the year came to a close, I came to realize a couple of things. Here they are.
The people who you grow up with know you better than anyone else; for better or for worse.
My classmates and I shared a lot of different things over the 14 years that we were together. Heartbreak, laughs, and of course; the memories. Whenever one of us was upset, we could always count on the others to be the first ones to notice. Some may find that annoying, but I think that all of us helped each other to grow; especially once we got into high school. Knowing that we had each other's backs during the good times and the bad made everyone feel closer.
Nothing lasts forever, and that's okay.
Up until my senior year, I felt like my hometown, school, and the people that I have been with for so long were the only world that there was. I was okay with that. However, when all of the "lasts" started happening my senior year, I was hit with the realization that this was all going to be over soon. That I was going to be in a completely different place, two hours away, with completely different people and experiences, this time next year. That realization was, and still is, very scary. But, it's also just so exciting. I'm happy to take the memories that I've made over these last couple of years and cherish them, and look forward to the ones to come.
You don't ever have to wonder who's cheering you on; those who are make it loud and clear.
I feel like most of us spend a good portion of our lives trying to decide who's there for us, and who's not. Who is trying to make an effort, and who is not. Who is happy for you, and who is hoping that you make the next mistake. I've come to realize, however, that you shouldn't ever have to question who is in your "corner." Because those who are, make it blatantly obvious. Those are the people who shoot you a, "Hey, was just thinking about you. How are you doing?!" text. It's the people who show up when you need it, and even when you don't. Senior year gave me this perspective, and it's one that many don't ever figure out.
Change is not the enemy, it's your friend.
Change is such a scary thing to think about no matter who you are. We are creatures of pattern and schedule. When something changes, it takes such a long time to get back into the "normal." I've always lived my life scared of any type of change (if you're wondering why my hair has been the same length since the 7th grade.) I think that it's just easiest to do everything like you've always done it. But, change is what makes us grow as people. It changes how we think, the way we understand each other, and how we do things. When I leave for college in a couple of months, my whole life is going to change. Is that a scary thought? Of course! But, where is the excitement in doing the same thing that you've always done?
Choose happiness.
Up until this year, people who would say "choose happiness" always made me angry. My thoughts were, "If I could just choose to be happy all the time then obviously I would. How stupid is saying that?" As I went through this year, however, I really did some work with myself on how I want my life to look in the next five, ten, even twenty years. One word kept popping into my head on how I want to feel in all of the stages of my life: happy. And what I realized was that you don't have to be happy all of the time. That's impossible. However, there are moments in each and every day that we can cling to to "choose happiness." Sitting on your front porch having a cup of coffee before anyone is awake, a phone call with a friend that you haven't talked with in a long time, journaling after a long day, or just listening to your favorite song. All of these things are little ways that we can choose happiness in our daily lives. That doesn't necessarily mean that we're choosing to be happy that entire day, but if we can cling onto those good moments, then not a day will go by that you feel like it was wasted on focusing on the problems in your life. And that is a life worth living.
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