To the editor:
Did I already have my last day of high school and not know it? Did I sit beside the people I grew up with for the very last time and not know it? Did I play my last game with my best friends that turned into sisters and not know it? Did I eat lunch with my school family for the last time and not know it? Did I take for granted all the times I may never get back?
Yes.
All of these moments are things that many of us take for granted, and I am guilty.
Will I get to play my last home game? Will I get a senior night? Will I get to go on my grad walk to the elementary schools? Will I have a senior day? Will I have a senior skip day? Will I have my senior prom? WILL I GRADUATE?
I don’t know.
The times we have all been working for and looking forward to since our first day of kindergarten may never happen. Knowing I am moving three hours away from home in four short months without ever knowing my last was my last is heartbreaking.
I didn’t get those goodbyes from my favorite teachers. I didn’t get those well wishes from my principal and classmates. I didn’t get any of the special moments.
So, to tell you the truth, “treat every moment like it’s your last” has a whole new meaning to me. It is so true because you really never know. I sure didn’t. Of course, I know it could be worse. But knowing that many of us have put in the work, dedication, and time to only get those moments taken away is devastating.
Who would have known that what was supposed to be the best year of our lives would be taken away in a matter of seconds? Who would have known?
No one.
So truly treat every moment as if it is your last, because I didn’t. I’m not mad at myself for that, I had no idea what was coming. But I will cherish every moment in the future because I am living this crisis firsthand in the most important year of my life. This was supposed to be my year. MY YEAR. OUR YEAR. And it’s gone just like that.
I pray with everything in me that I get to walk the stage with my best friends that became family. I pray that I get to walk those halls one last time. After all, that building is where I’ve lived the majority of my last four years. I pray we get a senior awards banquet so we can be recognized for all of our hard work and achievements. And most of all, I pray that I don’t have to leave my hometown having missed all of those special moments.
So, during this time, pray extra hard for the seniors. It’s hitting us like a brick wall, because after all, this is all we’ve ever wanted.
Sincerely,
A Brokenhearted High School Senior
This was my very first journal entry as soon as the coronavirus pandemic hit. As you can imagine, it has been extremely difficult thinking about all of the things that could be missed.
This situation is a prime example, not only for seniors, but for everyone that every moment of life should be cherished. It is extremely important to live every moment to the fullest, because you truly never know. I mean, who would have guessed that our world would be hit with a deadly pandemic? No one could have ever imagined that we would be hit with such a tragedy. No one would have ever guessed that we would be put on lockdown. No one would have ever guessed that we would be pulled out of school for months.
If I would have known, I would have done so much different.
As a senior in high school, there are so many stressful situations that keep us from making those lifelong memories. I am living proof. To all of my seniors out there, I am so sorry we are going through this. It is not what any of us expected our last year to be like, but at least we will never be forgotten. I know we all wish we would have made more of the time we did have. We all would have done so much different. My advice to you is not to live in the past, but to instead move forward and cherish each moment from here on out. To all of my rising seniors, please take this experience as an example to cherish the time you have. During your senior year, make the most of every class, every lunch period, and every rivalry game. They don’t last forever.
This year, with the virus hitting, not only have we had the stress of everything senior year entails, but we have also had our worlds rocked. We unexpectedly got sent home and immediately had to adjust to online schooling. Meanwhile, we were still filling out scholarships and preparing for college. So much so that we forgot the most important part; making the memories with the ones that mean the most. The unknown is the scariest part. I have turned to journaling to get my thoughts out which has helped me tremendously. Seniors, find something that works for you. Get your emotions out, because I know there are so many.
Senior year is full of college applications, scholarships, paperwork, money, and so much more. These things have distracted me and so many of my classmates to the point where we didn’t even realize the blessings in front of us. I know many of us dreaded hearing that alarm go off to get up for school, but now many of us are craving that sound. It is so incredibly important to take advantage of that last year. Go out, make the memories, do the work, and most importantly, hug your classmates tight. I didn’t do these things as much as I wish I would have. I was worried about getting the scholarships done early, completing every assignment to a T, stressing about planning my future, and making sure everything was perfect. While those things are extremely important, so are the fun times.
Now, with all the stressful things, it is handy to have ways to deal with this. I am the queen of stressing myself to the maximum. Between sports, extracurriculars, homework, etc., it can become overwhelming at times. My number one recommendation is to take time to sit down, take a deep breath, and come up with a strategy that helps you get things done. It can be hard to find motivation to do work outside of school, so remember what you are working towards — keep your eyes on the prize. You want that diploma. Maybe you want to get into that certain school. Maybe you want to work in that certain field. Maybe you want to go into the military. Whatever the case may be, set your goal and strive for it. Don’t settle for anything less than the best.
Find techniques that work for you. For me, I make a list in order of due dates. Every night I sit down for around an hour and get as many assignments done as I can. When that hour is over, I am done. It is important not to cram yourself. Take time each night to relax and do something you love. Find something to ease your mind and take off some of the stress. I encourage each of you to spend time on homework, as it is important; however, still take the time to relax and enjoy yourself.
Most importantly, I encourage people of all ages to learn from this experience. While it is extremely sad for the seniors, we aren’t the only ones going through it. It has been truly eye opening to see how fast things can change. If I learned anything from this unimaginable situation, it is to live in the moment. Don’t get too caught up in what the future may or may not hold, but rather, make those memories and hug those around you. Take it from me, I sure do wish I would have.
“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.” -Unknown
Carley Lambeth
Class of 2020
