To the people I knew in high school:
Congrats! Congrats on over-achieving, or achieving, or barely achieving, or whatever it is that you did. You're off to the next major step of your life, and you completely earned it. I'm sad to see some of you go. Others, maybe not so much. But again, everyone is going somewhere (metaphorically if not physically), and I'm happy for you.
To the person that let me copy their homework once or twice:
I'm sorry if I said I "owed you big time," and there was never an occasion to repay you. I'm crazy thankful for your little acts of kindness and I hope karma repays you in the sweetest way possible. Same goes to all the people that willingly let me know there was going to be a pop quiz the next class period or hinted at what I should study for the next test. You da real MVP.
To the people that cheated off of me:
Happy to have done you the favor. Happy to have learned from you that a person's success actually does correlate to how well they knew the material. Your cheating saved me from a lot of failure down the road.
To the people I dated:
Thanks for being there for me. Thanks for all the late night texts and stuffed animals. Thanks for being a first date, a first kiss, or a first heartbreak. Thanks for letting me get to know you, and in the process, myself. I wish you an even greater romance in you future.
To the people that were my best friends:
What's a few hundred miles between friends? The truth is, you all know me better than anyone else, and you're all too valuable to ever lose. From the honest heart-to-hearts, to all the mini-trips, to the roasts, to getting drunk together for the first time, to trading glances across a classroom, you'll always be the keepers and sharers of my best memories in high school. We shared in successes and pains and fears and I love you all for that.
To the people that I might've hurt:
I'm so, so sorry. I'm not a very confrontational person and I might've avoided some situations out of fear of conflict. I'll work on that. But know that I've reflected, worried, and felt bad for hurting you. I wish you good luck, and the best, too.
To the people that hurt me:
It's okay. You might've been scared, or self-conscious, or having a bad day, You were some of the people that most made me mature, so in a way, thanks. I forgive you.
To the people I admired:
You were the director of all the plays. You were on the football team. You wrote beautiful poems. You always smiled at people in the halls. You were always politically active. You had a bomb Spotify playlist. If I admired you, it was because you were passionate about something about something that you did, and did it well. I'm looking forward to hearing about your next accomplishments.
Bye-bye to all of you. Things will inevitably change: our sceneries, our paths, and ourselves. But, we're always going to have our high school memories. Good luck to you all!
Love,
Me