Secret Thoughts: A Senior Says Goodbye

Nobody likes the word ‘goodbye’—it sounds too definite, like the marking of an end; in this case it is the marking the end of a journey. There is, however, a positive way to take this word: a goodbye can also mean the start of something new. Although this is a clichéd concept, the graduating class of 2017 will be ending their high school career and beginning a new adventure in University.

Since the first day of senior year, many students have had a countdown marking the graduation date: May 24th 2017. Every time a peer was stressed or worried, checking the countdown and reminding themselves that they would get through the year was a huge comfort. However, now that the countdown clock reads less then 30 days, there is a new emotion rising—not just anticipation but maybe a mix of fear, sadness and excitement. After years of wishing these days to be over and to be ‘free’ of the chains of homework, coursework and never ending examinations, we are realizing that this consistency that we have become so comfortable with will cease to exist in a matter of days.

Our friends have, over time, become our rocks, stabilizing any negative events in our lives with joy. The idea of no longer being able to see their faces, share a joke with a knowing look across the room or speak our minds without hesitation every day is heartbreaking. Yes, it is a digital era and millions of promises can be made to keep in touch, but deep in our hearts we know that with oceans between us, sending a cyber hug to bring their days up won’t be enough. The only way to soothe this fear is to wholeheartedly believe that the ties of friendship will withstand distance, that when we do meet again (which we WILL) the loyalty and affection for one another will not have faded.

Our teachers, who used to be the disciplinary figures we feared in middle school, changed into our friends, adults we look up to and aspire to be like when we move on to this next phase of our life. In addition to the knowledge they passed down, they shared life advice, giving true counseling for the turmoils faced by their students. No longer was there a barrier felt between the ‘adults’ and ‘students’—as the students are soon to become just like the ‘adults’ (if we can really call ourselves that). The teachers gradually became people with whom we could share jokes, life stories and our mistakes, and they won’t be here any more to show us the way in college. Once again, there is always a positive way to take this: after graduation students are allowed to contact teachers by social media, so they will also be just one message away, and no matter where we go, their life lessons (and hopefully their educational lessons) will stay with us.

Our parents, the only people in our lives who have been there from the start, supporting and paving the way for us to even reach this point, will not be there to give concerned lectures, loving motivation and constant protection. We will miss them every second of every day apart. 18 years forges a bond that is thicker than blood and we hope to be able to make them proud as we set out alone.

So this is it; this is REALLY it. We’re actually leaving—but in our hearts we will always remember our friends, our family and our teachers. Most of all, we will always be Rams! It’s our big exit, class of 2017.