Graduating Life

Here it is, nearing midnight on May 19th, 2010. How has it come to this? How has this school year passed by so quickly? With all of the drama, the pressures, the stress, the activities and comings and goings of daily life, it’s honestly surprised me how fast this year has passed by.

Friendships made, boundaries tested, lives changed for the better and the worse, and things seem to be coming full circle in a way. The new friends are taking places of the old friends who have walked out of my life. The boundaries have been tested; the knowledge of where I stand with people now more prominent and the same goes for where people stand with me. My life has changed so much over the past few months, for both the better and the worse: family life has changed drastically, I’ve got a job and a true determination of where I’m going in the next few years, who I know will and won’t be a part of my life after high school.

It’s friends like mine that have kept me sane, friends like mine who’ve kept me on track, friends like mine that I know will forever be there for me and I them.

To Aubree: People who stay friends through all four years of high school are rare- I’m glad we’ve got each other.

To Caiti: I’m so glad we got over our original hatred of each other last year and are such great friends now. It’s a blast working and hanging out with you-I can’t wait ‘till we get our place together!

To Kelsy: I’m glad we became friends this year. Truly, I am grateful for your friendship these past few months and I’m terribly sad you’re moving away so soon and so far away.

To Rachel: I’m glad you got that LG Chocolate freshmen year for Christmas! Otherwise, who knows where we’d be without each other?

To Eddie: I’m glad we’ve reconnected yet again. I’ll forever wonder the “what could have beens,” but hey, who doesn’t? See you at graduation.

To Jason Ludwig: I’m glad we became friends last year and have kept up that friendship all throughout this year. Truly, everything we’ve talked about, all the things you’ve helped me through has helped me so much. Love you, kiddo. I’m still mentally planning your wedding.

To Jason Copple: When we met all those years ago, I never thought our friendship would mean so much to me. You have been such a help to me over the years, encouraging me with my writing and telling me to pursue my talent and my dreams. I look forward to every moment we spend talking together in the future.

To Parker: The way we became friends was probably, by far, the weirdest way I have ever become friends with someone. I wouldn’t trade any moment of our friendship for all the riches in the world. You broke through all of my walls, saw through my acting, and witnessed me break down when my family life was falling apart when people I’ve been friends with for years have never seen me cry. At the time, we’d been friends for a few weeks. Our late night conversations where you would distract me from anything and everything bad going on helped put my mind at ease. The fact that you cared and were so interested in what made me who I am shocked me. When you first told me you knew you would be a part of my life long after I graduated, I didn’t believe you. Now, I don’t doubt that-I know that now for what it is. The truth. Thank you for everything in the past few months and for everything yet to come.

I love all of you. You all mean the world to me. I wouldn’t trade any of you for anything. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us. I’m sure it’ll be a hell of an adventure, though.

To everyone I’ve shared a class or a bus ride with: Thank you. You guys making me laugh has helped me so much.

Let’s all make the last few weeks of school, seniors or not, the best we can: let’s live our lives how we want to, forget what anyone has ever said negatively about us, and just go for what we want. Who are they to judge us?

It’s our life, our time. Let’s rock this.