First of all, a congratulations is in order. You have officially completed the easiest part of your life. Next you have college, marriage, kids, and infinite number of problems. I’m not saying we should diminish the accomplishments that you’ve made, because we should not. Graduating is something that should be celebrated in all its glory, but you have to remember there are many more tough things ahead.
After graduation, you’ll learn who your real friends are. You learn which of the “friends” you have actually care about you and not based on the attendance numbers of your grad party. Your real friends are the ones who text you to make sure your family is doing okay, to check up on you to ensure you’re happy, and to ask to catch up soon. I can speak from experience due to the lack of friends I now have two years after high school.
I wasn’t the most popular kid in high school, but I did have a large friend group. I was friendly and always willing to be there for others. The summer after graduation, I hung out with all of them, but as the school year came closer we all began to drift apart. When everyone came home for Christmas, I only saw a select few the month we were all home for break. I remember the group chat existing that said we all should get together, but it never actually happened.
Six months later when summer arrived, everyone came home and we all began to go our separate ways. No one hung out with each other and no one even asked questions. I still kept in contact with my three closest friends, and they’re all I’ve ever known.
Fast forward to two years after graduation. We’ve all grown up and learned who we can really trust and we have all fallen into our respected niches. The moral of this story is not to ditch all your friends because you know they’ll leave; it’s important that you understand that high school is not the end of the world. You will eventually find the love of your life, whether in college or after, you will get married, adopt animals, and start a family. Everything that you think life is about now is only the beginning.
To the class of 2016, be strong. Be strong for yourselves, for each other and for all your family watching. Take nothing for granted, and excel in your next step of life just like you excelled in this one. Spend time with your friends and even more time with your family, and don’t forget to have fun while you do it. The most important lesson I wish I was told about graduating high school is to never forget where you came from and never lose sight of where you want to go. As someone once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
