Dear You,

Right now, you're starting to get nervous. There are so many "last"s you're experiencing: Your last high school football homecoming. Your last homecoming dance. Your last college career day. Your last September in high school. Your last Parent-Teacher conference night. Your heart feels like a hummingbird's wings and your head is crowded with what "first"s you'll experience less than a year from now.

Don't be afraid. While there are so many "last"s you're experiencing now, there are even more great experiences waiting for you on the college campus of your choice, or in that workplace, or in the military. While high school has shaped you up until now and all you've known is 7^th period days and raising your hand to ask to go to the bathroom, your life is changing and soon you will be in control of your whole life. But no pressure, right?

The hardest thing to adjust to outside of high school is just how much control you have. Not only can you go to the bathroom use your phone, and eat pretty much whenever you want, but you're responsible for so much more than just yourself now. From now on, your choices will impact not only your day to day life but also the day to day life of those around you. Coworkers, students, family, and friends alike will all be influenced by what you do.

You're so used to pushing yourself to the edge to get as far as you can and you celebrate because it's almost over. But what you may not know is that it's only just beginning. That's why it's more important now than ever that you practice self-care and take care of yourself. You can not pour from an empty glass, and I learned that the hard way.

Don't burn the candle from both ends, as my mom would say. By that, I mean don't take on more than you can handle, even if it feels like you may have to. There is always at least one extra moment in your day during which you can set down everything and just breathe. Take a second to breathe and tell yourself it will all be worth it in the end.

You can do this. If no one has told you lately, I'm telling you this now: I'm proud of you.

Congratulations and keep moving forward.

From,
Me.