Prom. Some people consider it the high school senior's right of passage. A night filled with pretty dresses, dancing, and the last time to go to a dance with your high school friends. A night where you truly feel beautiful and you are surrounded by people who make you feel good about yourself.

Prom. Also one of the most stressful events a high school senior has to deal with. Looking back on my experiences with prom, I now realize that none of it really mattered because it was just a dance. Prom is simply just a glorified homecoming dance for high school seniors and stressing about it is really unnecessary.

Prom is really demanding and places a lot of pressure on high school seniors because of all the things you have to do. Find a date, find a dress, find a hair appointment, get your nails done, find a group to go with, get your bouquet of flowers, plan the prom weekend, find a limo or party bus, make or get a garter, and so much more. Prom is a lot of work.

Seniors who choose to not go to prom are questioned by almost everyone in the class on why they aren't going. I don't understand why people make it such a big deal if someone does not want to go to prom. It is okay to not want to go to prom and there are a variety of reasons why someone wouldn't want to go. Maybe they couldn't find a date. Maybe they don't want to spend the outrageous amount of money people spend for one night. Maybe it just isn't important to them. Maybe they simply just have no desire to go. Whatever the reason be, it is okay to not go.

I myself did not go to my senior prom. After what seemed like a lot of heartache and stress, I made the decision to not go. Although I easily found the dress, certain circumstances left me without a date just weeks before the event. My friends told me that I didn't need a date and that I could still have fun if I went alone. Though they were trying to be supportive, none of them were going by themselves and truly did not understand what I was going through. It wasn't an easy decision, but to this day I do not regret not going.

My friends didn't realize why I did not want to go to prom. They said that I would miss out on a really important day in my life and that in the future I would regret not going. They didn't want me to feel left out, but I truly believe that I would have felt even more left out if I went my myself. As prom approached, it was a difficult time in my life. I remember being sad and disappointed in myself and my decision as I watched my friends planning their prom. I was really bitter about prom for a really long time and even the mentioning of it made me really upset. It seemed like all my friends ever talked about was prom. I felt alone, like nobody understood why I didn't want to go. Yes, I did choose not to go, but the decision still bothered me.

I want my high school friends to know that I never envied them for going, so seniors don't get mad at your friends if they are going to prom and you aren't. No, I don't hate prom and this isn't me bashing it. I truly wanted my friends to have their perfect night. I know they wished I was there, but I did what was best for me and you have to do the same. I had a memorable night on the night of my prom anyway. I am thankful for one of my best friends in particular (you know who you are). Thank you for having my back and being such a great friend when I felt I needed one most and for helping me have a fun night despite the circumstances.

I now realize that there is so much more to life than going to a dance. Prom is not the most important day in your life, although it may seem like it at the time. I wish I would have realized a year ago that I had so much going for me and so much to look forward to. I still had a whole lifetime to live with monumental moments to come and I got caught up in that one tiny moment. I wish I could tell my senior self so many things, but most importantly that I did not need a date to prom, or even prom itself, to be happy and feel beautiful. Just because you don't go to prom, that doesn't make you a loser, because after all, it is just a dance.

So seniors, if you don't go to prom, it is OK. Things will get better and in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter if you go or not. It doesn't define you and a year from now it won't matter. You are still beautiful and should not let a dance bring down your self-worth. You can still have a kick-ass senior year even if you don't go. Go on prom weekend with your friends. Go get your nails done anyway. Treat yourself to some shopping and do something fun that night.

Hopefully, one day you too will realize that prom isn't that big of a deal. You have your whole life ahead of you... so do not live in your high school past!