The Art of Growing Up

It happens so quickly. You go to your classes, you do the same thing every day, and then it hits you - you're not a kid anymore. You see your older friends leaving high school. They hop in their cars, pull out of the driveway, and head off to college. You feel alone. You feel scared. Everything is happening so fast. You realize more and more how quickly your life as a high school student is coming to an end. Soon, you'll be an adult going to college and living on your own. Your parents won't be there to hold your hand and tell you everything's going to be okay. You will be on your own, in a big, new world where you're expected to do everything on your own. The sweet comfort of home is coming to a halt. But, is it really all that bad? No. You're about to embark on the greatest adventure of your life - college. You're about to meet other people who will be lifelong friends with you. You're about to experience what it's like to be an adult; what it's like to find who you really are and embrace it. You're about to start living the rest of your life, wherever that leads you. The friends you make in high school certainly mean a lot to you. Unfortunately, you might not see some of them for a long time. Your paths in life will meet a fork in the road. Your family will be back home while you're out there in the world discovering new things. Yes, you will miss everyone and you will wish things weren't as hard. But isn't that a part of growing up? No matter what your life after high school leads to, always remember this: things are always darker before they get better. In time, the sufferings you experience will ultimately lead to brighter days, brighter people, and a brighter you.