I remember being in your foot steps not even in a year ago. I remember how excited I was to graduate high school and leave to go off to college to do bigger and better things. I still remember hearing my name on the loud speaker and walking across the stage, fearing that my hair was messed up or that I would trip on my way to get my diploma. It wasn’t until that day finally came when I realized that I did it. It was all over.

I know you won’t believe me, but I promise, you’re going to miss it.

No, you definitely won’t miss getting up at the crack of dawn every day or being in one building for 6 hours. You won’t miss needing a pass to go to the bathroom either.

You’ll miss the basketball games when you proudly painted your face with your school colors and stood in the bleachers with your best friends. You’ll miss your favorite study hall with your favorite teacher who you might not get to see for another couple months. You’ll miss getting to see everyone you grew up with every day, because after graduation, it seems as if people disappear.

Most importantly, you’ll miss the memories.

I know you’re clawing to get out of the hell-hole we call high school. You can’t wait to get out of the town that watched you grow and let you find a little part of who you are. You want new friends, new experiences, new surroundings. You’re excited to officially be away from Mom & Dad so you can finally become who you’ve always wanted to be.

You’re going to be in my footsteps a year from now. You’ll be four short weeks away from completing your first year in college. You’ll have met more people than you thought you would and some of those people will be best friends you thought you’d never have. You’ll have experiences you’ll never forget, some you might wish you could forget, and you’ll have adventured in the new surroundings you call home.

Most importantly, you’ll have already lived through another year. Just like that.

All I ask, is that you cherish the rest of your time in high school. Time goes by much quicker than you think it does. Graduation Day may seem like a light year away, but I swear it’s just around the corner. The real world is just down the street.