May – the month most seniors live for. The end of one life and the beginning of another.

The young faces in these pictures represent times when our biggest worries were Barbie and Ken’s wedding, GI Joe’s missing arm, and why we had to eat vegetables at dinner again. Looking at these pictures today, sometimes we, the seniors, wish we could go back to such carefree days. But at the same, time moving on with our lives, making new memories, and gaining independence have become exciting realities that were once ideas that seemed so far away. Since sixth grade we have counted down the days until graduation. Now as the day approaches we are still anxious, but somewhat nervous. The faces in these pictures remind us of the people we once were and still are, the friends we have grown up with and also whom we will graduate with. Surviving the past 12 years wasn’t easy, but in that time we had some of the best experiences of our lives. Those times are what made it worthwhile.

It’s hard to believe I’ve walked these halls for the past four years. Most of the people that have passed me every day I don’t even know. Those I do know and know well are friends I will have forever. A life lesson: you will pass many in your travels and only a select few you will truly know. Don’t judge those you only pass … respect those you do know.

There are some things from our high school experiences that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives and some memories that we choose to forget. But when we look back at those experiences, we’ll see our friends … the ones who got us through everything and we’ll realize how lucky we are to have them.

We picked up our caps and gowns and all that senior stuff that’s supposed to help us remember the good ole days, but some of the things that you remember the most, can’t be put on paper. That day finally came, and you sat there with all the friends you had made over the years … you looked out at your family and deep down, you knew that this was a once in a lifetime moment. It was the last time in your life that all these people would be together in once place. Yeah, there would be reunions, but there was always the chance that one person wouldn’t make it there. You looked back on your time with these people and realized it was short lived and that it didn’t seem as if there was enough time for everything that you wanted to accomplish … sports, activities, SAT, ACT, and all that good stuff. They called your name, your tassel got turned, and you got a piece of paper that said you were smart. Then you said good-bye … maybe to your town, and that school and your friends. You know that you can go back to visit, but there will be strangers in the halls and it’s not the same. It’s different … you’re different … but it’s not the end. In fact, everything is just the beginning.

You spend 12 years of your life trying to learn how to live, but every time you try to live you are told that you’re wrong. Then everyone you’ve grown to love is taken away and scattered. That’s what they should teach us in school … to say good-bye and let go.