Congratulations! You've just graduated high school or you're about to. You might be sad about high school ending or if you were like me you couldn't be more excited.
The norm when you graduate seems to be sadness; you're leaving home, most of your friends, and starting over. Even if you stay at home to attend community college or go straight into the trades, there is still a pretty big transition. So you're expected to be sad, upset that you're leaving "best years of your life" behind you. (whoever said they were the best years of your life clearly did something wrong because I promise you they aren't)
It's OK to not be sad.
I was sad for about 30 seconds because I would no longer see my friends everyday, but when those 30 seconds were up I was ecstatic. I was more than ready to leave high school behind, enjoy summer, and prepare for the move to college.
Graduation does not need to be sad, of course it's bittersweet to leave the people and the place you've gotten used to for the past four years, but graduation should be exciting. You did it. You made it through high school, a trying time for a lot of people. You're starting to grow up, getting a little taste of freedom before you're thrown out into the world. It's exciting and liberating. You have choices on where to live and who to live with. Wanna get Steak n Shake at 3am? Sure, go for it! There's such a variety of clubs and programs to join and try out, find something you're passionate about and discover how you can make that passion into a career. Or if graduation from high school leads you into the trades or the military it's still exciting. The trades are normally something you love to do and you're going to be so happy doing what you love. If you love this country and are going to defend it, God bless; that takes serious dedication. High school ending isn't a sad experience, rather an accomplishment to celebrate.
Don't get me wrong, it's okay if you are sad, high school was a large about of your life. You spent 4 years studying, socializing, preparing for this next step and it's scary. No, not even scary, terrifying. You're expected to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life, who actually knows at 18? If you're especially close to your family going away will be a challenge, but modern technology is great: FaceTime!!
No matter whether you're sad about graduation or not the next chapter of your life is about to begin and it's going to be epic.
