Well, seniors, it’s finally here, the last week of the rest of your life. This week you’ll count down the days until you graduate high school. For 13 years you’ve dreamed of it. For 13 years you’ve worked for it. For the next five days you’ll cherish the journey more than you ever have before.
Your final push to the finish line will pass quickly, though at times you may feel as if you’re floating slowly through a dream. Things that once seemed commonplace and mundane will suddenly take on fresh meaning. The ride to school, the ringing bell, the school lobby and hallways, cafeteria food and lunchtime banter, your sprint to class and the lectures and laughter will all look, sound and feel different this week. The sights will seem sharper. The sounds, they will linger. Your mind will be in overdrive trying to capture the moments – these last moments – of high school.
You may glide through this week giddy with delight. You may shed a tear. You may find yourself overcome by nostalgia for the past or overwhelmed with anxiety about your future. However this last week of the rest of your life plays out, breathe in all of its long-awaited, ‘can’t believe it’s here’ glory.
Inhale deeply.
Embrace the moment and those close to you.
Express gratitude. You didn’t get this far alone.
And while you may feel alone as you venture out into the world, step out in confidence knowing there’s an entire community standing behind you, supporting you, praying for you, and wishing you life’s absolute best.
