Every now and then I'm reminded of my days in high school. Whether it be because I'm visiting home and catch a high school football game, seeing friends get hit on by high schoolers, or someone posting an old picture of a moment from high school. I'm reminded. I think about it a lot so high school here's an open letter to you.
Dear High School,
I have much to thank you for. Even for the good, the bad, and the ugly, I owe it all to you. When we first began our wild ride together I had no idea what to expect. I was an eager freshman ready to take on the next best four years of my life as some would say. Little did I know it wouldn't be the next best four years. They were going to be rocky, crazy, and full of lessons. You didn't tell me what I was in for.
Being in there I didn't realize how much you would break my heart. Why didn't you tell me that I was going to learn what it would feel like to have a broken heart? Why couldn't you have given me some kind of warning, or at least let me know it would be okay in the end... why? You taught me that in high school, unfortunately, people might die. I learned car accidents will happen, and I will lose people I thought I was going to leave high school knowing. I learned how to love and lose someone and how to keep going on. You taught me much about death and how to survive it.
But, you also taught me about the heartbreak of love. Thanks to you I learned nobody will stay forever, and even if you think he's the right one, he may not be, and that's okay. I learned love will come and go, and until the time is right, we better enjoy the little moments we do have with love. You taught me infidelity can happen. Whether it happens to me, or to my friends it did happen to, it will happen. You taught me I have a lot of love to give and how easily I can lose it. You really showed me how to take care of my heart and how to heal it. You taught me to take the time, hold onto it, and process it because I'm going to make it through.
You taught me how to win and how to lose with pride. During our four-year relationship, you took me twice on the same date. You took me to two state championship football games. First, you showed me what it's like to try to so hard and fail. I learned what it's like to watch boys cry and see their hearts break in simpatico, and watch a coach think about what he could have done better. I learned what it's like to touch a championship and then lose it all on the same day. On our second date, you showed me dreams do come true. You showed me never giving up and striving to keep going can get you the win. My final year in high school you gave us all a championship, and you showed us what it's like to be heroes. I'll never forget watching boys cry once again, but in this time knowing they did it, and it happened. I'll never forget the feeling my career was a manager for football truly ended. Each time you taught me how to have composure and take what I was given and learn.
I mostly want to thank you for showing me who I'm supposed to be and who I'm not. I want to thank you for letting me leave high school not completely damaged, but damaged enough to know what I need to fix and what I need to do to succeed. You showed me transferring my senior year was not a regret, but one of my best decisions I will ever make. You taught me how to grieve a friend lost to an accident, mourn a broken heart, drive a car safely without running over cones, win and lose, and to be happy with who I am. I told myself I will conquer and I did exactly that, I conquered. Thank you for showing me that dancing around at prom like I'm having some sort of seizure doesn't matter. I want to believe you breaking my heart so deeply was the best for me, and that I will be careful with how I love and how I let myself be loved. You taught me that those four years were just practicing for the next four years. Thank you for showing me I needed to get in trouble, get a broken heart, transfer schools, get good and bad grades, lose and make new friends, and showing me that I need to stop concerning myself with my image. Nobody knows me better than I now know myself, and I won't let anybody come in my way again like you did.
High school, you surely won't be missed, but you won't be forgotten.
Thanks,
Maya
