Dear High School Me,
As you enter your freshman year, realize that this is the beginning of an exciting opportunity that will only be worthwhile if you cherish every second of it. Everyone will be nice to you, or rather everyone will be nice to everyone, because there have been no hurt feelings, no betrayals, no hearts broken. Enjoy this year, because this peace will be felt few times again.
You’ll get to sophomore year in the blink of an eye. I know you’ll feel out of place because friendships were tightened or dissipated over the summer. Where do you fit in? Well, let me tell you, high school is one of the best times to quote the infamous Dr. Seuss. He nailed being a bit of an outsider in saying, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Be confident. Be bold. Speak up in class, and do so with great conviction. You are smart and have valid opinions to contribute. Let people know who you are. Do not harbor any fear of your peers’ opinions, because I can promise you that they’re thinking the same thing or will respect you for taking a stance.
Junior year. Everyone will have gotten their licenses, their taste for alcohol, a boyfriend or girlfriend, and you’ll have gotten two of the three (a driver’s license and a boyfriend that is). It is incredibly easy to be caught up in a boy that works for your attention and treats you like a princess. But don’t let a relationship diminish the friendships that stuck from the years before; make a point to nurture both. Boys will come and go, and even though you love him more than anything, the things you need and value will change as you grow. Remain driven; focus on your goals, your grades, your job, and your future. College is approaching and a time of self-discovery is imminent.
Senior year will come faster than you ever thought possible. It will bring a plethora of stresses, joys, hopes, and fears. “Have you decided where you’re going to school yet?” will be asked incessantly for longer than you’ll ever find appropriate. Once you decide, and your path is set, you’ll start to look around and realize not only what you’ll be leaving behind, but the things you didn’t do. Don’t let this sadden you now; let it push you to embrace it all while you can. It’ll be easy to start picking fights and getting angry because you think it’ll make it more bearable to go. But try not to; give hugs, make plans, have fun, and let no happy memory go unmade.
I know this with absolute certainty, that the way the cookie crumbled is exactly how it’s supposed to be. The friends you didn’t have or lost touch with weren’t meant to know the person you’ve become. All the pain you go through will only open doors that you’ll have the newfound confidence to walk through. You’ll take a fabulous trip to California for spring break, scream your head off when Kevin Pangos makes his record breaking 289th career three pointer, jump off the bridge into the Spokane River, and laugh until you cry with new friends that will feel like soul mates in no time at all. College will bring its own hurdles to jump over, but you’ll be better prepared to conquer them now. Always be true to who you are, remember where you came from, and stay tuned, because the best is yet to come.
