At some point in your life, you've probably heard the classic line, "There's a first time for everything!" You may have heard it from an aunt telling you to try some exotic recipe, a mother forcing you to join the team of a sport you hate, or a friend begging you to go with her to a country music concert when you listen to alternative bands. Sometimes you're glad you were persuaded into trying something new; other times you immediately regret your decision to comply with another's requests. Regardless of the specific circumstances, the bottom line is always the same: "There's a first time for everything."

Over the course of your life, you will experience many first times, both good and bad. The first time riding a bike without training wheels and the first time breaking a bone. The first time failing a math test and the first time meeting the person who will become your best friend. The first time kissing your soulmate and the first time traveling to a foreign country. The list could go on and on. These first times open the doors to a multitude of new opportunities and a lifetime of first times.

However, many people fail to mention that with a first comes a last. The bitter truth is that the last time is inevitable. More often than not, we fail to realize that the last time is the last time until it is too late. In the words of Meredith Grey, character on the popular TV series "Grey's Anatomy":

"'...You never think the last time's going to be the last time - you think there will be more. You think you have forever, but you don't.'"

The message to take away from this quote is that you should never take any aspects of your life for granted. Learn to appreciate the small things, to savor the moments that will one day come to an end. Embrace the life you have and all the people you have in it. Life is finite.

I wish I had thought about this before. This year has been full of many firsts and many lasts for me. The first time taking a college course, and the last time walking the halls of North Carroll High School. The first time traveling to Europe, and the last time running in a cross country meet. These particular lasts were things that I had not anticipated, at least not at this point in my life. I expected to have one more year at North Carroll, one last season with the team that is like my family. I was not prepared to leave this part of my life so soon. Had I known at the beginning of the school year that it was my last, I may have done some things differently. I may have taken more AP classes or pushed myself harder at practice. I would have cherished each class with my friends. I would have fallen in love with the anxiety that comes right before the gun goes off at a race. I would not have treated every day like it was just another day.

I am not saying that I regret my decision to graduate a year early. I simply wish that I had known that the last times were the last times. I am ready to start a new chapter in my life, but that doesn't stop me from looking back on the past.

Enjoy the firsts and cherish the lasts. Live every day with a refreshing attitude. And most importantly, remember that nothing is forever.