Hi Dollies!

Last Friday, I graduated from high school. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions and I thought I’d share my musings here. Now, I wish I could reflect on all 13 years of my schooling, but unfortunately my memory’s not that great. Instead, I just have some thoughts on my last week of school.

My final week was made of class parties, a year 12 assembly, muck up day, dress up photoshoot, student only day out, and finally, the graduation. The specifics of these, however, are beside the point. Throughout all this, I noticed a big shift in the attitudes of my year group and myself. It hadn’t really hit home that we were finishing until then, and we became more focused on each other and the time we had left.

We were so much more unified. Our little cliques still existed, but there was much more interaction between everyone. No anxiety, hesitation or prejudice got in the way, and I feel like I turned many of my neutral relationships into the beginnings of friendships in just that week. It all felt so exhilarating.

Reflecting on all this, I wish I’d adopted this same attitude earlier. While I'm riding the peak of my emotions, I’ve compiled my whirling thoughts into several points that I hope you'll like:

- Be open to everyone you meet, people usually aren’t how you first perceive them to be.

- Do your best to value every moment with your friends, and don’t get distracted by superficial things.

- Don’t let laziness, worries, or a bad attitude get in the way of doing something meaningful.

On Monday, I won’t have to go to school. I really thought I’d feel glad about this, but frankly I just feel a little sad. I’m not entirely without regrets, but cheesy as it sounds, I certainly don’t regret the memories I have and I’ll treasure those forever. 

Take care,

♡ Joanne