The world is at your feet. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, Sarah.
You heard these phrases from anyone and everyone often leading up until the day of your high school graduation. However, the white cap and gown you will wear on that day and the words that will be spoken on that stage will soon be but a distant memory. This moment was all you could think about at the time, even though finishing this stage of your academic career practically drained you of almost every ounce of willpower you had left. And you even went to sleep after midnight, something you had managed not to do during most of your high school years (and still earning good grades).
Nevertheless, you did it. You achieved one of the many milestones you will go on to accomplish in your life. This day was just the beginning of your brand new life as an adult, though you didn’t fully grasp it at the time. It was going to be exciting and full of adventures. You were going far away to college after all and literally starting a brand new life. Where no one had ever heard your name before or knew your parents or any other detail about you. I can’t promise you that life after your high school graduation will be easy or that you will always be happy but you will go on to create an amazing and enriching life for yourself. Just you wait and see. (But get to working on this life you want. It won’t just magically come to you!)
Sadly, I also can’t promise you that, and it’s with great sadness I write these words, everyone who sat with you and walked across this very stage with you will still be walking on this Earth 10 years later. I wish I could save you from the disappointment and grief you will experience, but I can’t. It’s the heartbreaking and stark reality of life. It’s so short.
Take heart.
Though not everyone who was with you at age 18 will be by your side at age 28, you will learn how to live your days to the absolute fullest.
You won’t always be flying off to a new city for a weekend or exploring a castle or working on an exciting new project. There will be times when you won’t want to do anything more than curl up underneath your covers and lay in your bed -somewhere in the world- and watch a TV show series on your laptop or read a book in another language (spoiler alert from the future: yes, you will know how to speak more than two languages by this time in your life -and yes, it’s pretty freaking sweet.) But, you know what? It’s okay to do these things, too. You are human after all and everyone needs to recharge their batteries once in a while.
A lot of things in your life are unknown at this point but trust in the process. Everything is working together for your good and for your benefit. It takes time and you will be pruned and molded into becoming an amazing, caring and empathetic person. You will blossom into more of who you saw yourself becoming all of your teen years and I think you would not only be proud of her, but you would be in awe of her as well. Do you know what you do on a regular basis a decade from now? I’ll tell you.
The young woman you have become speaks up in group discussions. She talks to cute guys and even sits down next to them on public transportation without batting (too much) an eye! She’s not afraid to speak her mind or add her thoughts and ideas to a discussion because she knows her opinion adds value. She travels solo. SOLO. A concept I know is completely foreign to you as you haven’t quite left home for the first time yet (which will feel like you’re being abandoned just FYI but you’ll be over it in two weeks, so don’t have a meltdown just yet). I could go on and on about the woman you’ve become but I’ll sum it up in one sentence: she’s beautiful inside and out and she’s a dearly loved child of God. You have fought for everything you have and are at this moment in time but don’t think for a second that you will stop fighting because you have a long road ahead of you. It will all be worth it, though.
These last 10 years of your life zipped by like a high speed train and the next 10 unfortunately won’t be slowing down any time soon. Don’t let that scare you but rather let it motivate you to make the most of it.
Here’s to another beautiful decade of your life. Make every moment count and make a difference in someone else’s life. You won’t regret it…trust me on this one. 😉
Really loved this!