Another year of me leaving for college is here. Another year of feeling like I'm missing you grow up. One year ago you started high school and I was gone. Eight-hundred miles stood between us while you tackled your first football game, homecoming dance, midterms, and many more milestones. It terrifies me that it's year two and we're doing it again and there are so many more things I'm going to miss.

So while we're about to take this on again I have some advice for you for the rest of high school:

Be you, always:

As you keep moving through your high school career you're going to have a lot of oppositions and challenges in your way. Take those challenges on with your shoulders back and your eyes on the prize. Do not change for anyone and always remember that I will always be cheering you on no matter how far away I am. You've already started blazing your own trail and it makes me so proud to watch you succeed in everything you love doing. Keep it up, kid.

Be open to new possibilities:

Things are NOT always going to go your way. You're going to be faced with challenges last minute or get told you have to do something that you don't necessarily want to do. It's life. When those things happen don't pout or get angry and think about what could have been. Adjust, plan, and tackle the new challenge in front of you with all the passion that you would have if nothing would have changed. Embrace new challenges as a new way of thinking, a new way of working and a new way of living.

Smile often:

When things are going badly and you feel like the world is out to get you, remember that someone else in the world is also having a bad day, so smile at everyone you see. Smiling at someone can change their day and it is proven that when you smile at someone they will smile at someone else and suddenly multitudes of peoples days are brighter just because you took 3 seconds to smile at someone in passing. That small smile will make its way back to you, believe that with your whole heart.

Have integrity:

It's easy to do the right thing when all eyes are on you. When you're leading a student section or planning a homecoming dance. But the person you are behind closed doors is just as important. Tell the truth, do the right thing and always remember that people are looking up to you whether you see it or not, so be the best version of yourself and everything will be okay.

You're already making me so proud. A year down with tons of successes under your belt and plenty more that are in your future. I know you're going to continue to do so many amazing things and when I watch you walk across that stage in a few years and receive your diploma just know that it will kill me that I missed all those moments but that I am so proud of each one of them. I'm one of those people watching, cheering you on from hundreds of miles away, more proud of you than I ever have been of anyone else.