The sound of people telling you to enjoy senior year rings in your head. They tell you that it is one of the best years of your life. They tell you everything is going to change. They tell you to make the most of the final pages in this chapter of life. To have all the fun that you can while you still can. Everyone is right when they share their advice with you, but they do forget something; they forget to remind you to make the most of the summer that follows graduation.
When they tell you everything is about to change, it is true; however it doesn’t happen right away. Only once the summer days grow shorter and the fall days get closer and everyone goes his or her separate way does the real change happen. That means there is a lot to accomplish with your friends before you began whatever your next journey may be.
Without even realizing it, this summer will fly by. In the blink of an eye it will all be over. As graduation approaches, so does the end of May or beginning of June. Then you have graduation parties to follow for probably about a month, and next thing you know July 4th is creeping up. Then, you will be left with only six weeks of fun in the sun. Six weeks of no worries. Six weeks to be with your friends, some for the last time. Before you know it August will arrive and you will begin the journey to your new home.
You might think I'm crazy and say that I have no idea what I am talking about. You might not believe a word I say, but I speak from experience when I say summer will never be the same. Once you begin college, or start working, your summers slowly fade. For some, this is their last summer as they will take on a full-time job following graduation. Others slowly let them go as they begin getting summer jobs to pay for college, take internships, or continue taking classes for one reason of another. Like I promised, summer will change after this one.
I was lucky all throughout freshman year; I kept in touch with most of my closets friends. I lost a few along the way, while others lost almost all of their friends. It is hard to keep your high school friends. Everyone begins a new life. They grow into new people, sometimes better while other times worse. They make new friends and find new hobbies. It is not intentional; it's just the way life works out. Take this summer and go away with your friends, even if it’s just a day trip to the beach. Spend a little extra time together. Maybe the extra bonding time won’t keep them around for the next year, but at least you will know that you had the best time with them that summer. It will leave you with no questions or doubts, just some good memories.
There were seven of us who were a family, who graduated together and who spent the summer together. When I left in August,the seven of us were still close as could be. As fall turned to winter and winter turned to spring, only five of us remained; soon to be four. There is no guarantee that everyone comes home for the summer. Some come home as a completely different person. Others don’t come home at all as they make a better life elsewhere. Some leave as summer approaches to get the time to find themselves that they lost by staying home all year.
The truth is, no matter how hard you try to keep things the same, they will change. They will. Summers may still be great, but they won’t be nearly the same. It won’t be the ones you were used to for the last 18 years. Make sure you make the most of these next few months. Don’t let opportunities pass you by and do something extraordinary. This will be the summer you remember the most.
