When someday is today: to the graduating senior.

"It's the oldest story in the world. One day you're 17 and planning for someday. And then quietly, without you ever really noticing, someday is today, and then someday is yesterday, and this is your life."

Nathan Scott says these words in the final episode of One Tree Hill. These words stuck with me when I finished the series two years ago. I was almost 16, and I was near the end of my sophomore year. At the time, I was planning for someday. I continued to plan for someday up until this moment as I write this blog post now. Someday is today. It started the moment I graduated high school on May 14. This is it. This is my moment. The moment I've dreamt about for so long. In a few months, I start college in Tulsa, a place that is completely unfamiliar for me, a place that is absolutely nothing like where I've grown up. It's scary, truly, but so so exciting too. 

I told myself when I graduated I would write a blog post about some of the lessons I've learned throughout my four years of high school. The more I've thought about this, the harder I realized this would be. I've learned a LOT in these four years, some good things, and some bad things. Some lessons I had to learn the hard way, and others I learned through observing those around me. Now I can't include every single lesson I've learned, but I will highlight some that I feel are essential. 

1.) Maintaining good grades is important.

Hear me out y'all: if you're in high school and you want to go to a nice college, KEEP YOUR GRADES UP. Seriously. This is important. Grades do not always define your intelligence.. trust me, I would know (Ask me about my ACT score). However, you should still make an effort. Education is free, embrace that. And it is vital. Yes, you may have to study and do your homework, but trust me, it's nice to look at your grade card and feel like you're accomplishing something. So please, TRY in school.

2.) Being popular is overrated.

We all desire to be liked. And if you're like me, you desire it a lot. I wanted to be liked by everyone, so much that it consumed me most of the time. I longed for acceptance and friendships with every person I encountered. I remember my junior year when I was slapped in the face with reality. I realized that just having a few close friends was really all I needed, because it's so difficult to distinguish if someone is real or not. You want friends who are going to lift you up, encourage you in all aspects of your life, and they need to love you, love you enough to tell you the truth, regardless of if you want to hear it or not. Once I realized this, I felt so much happier. The big question you need to ask yourself while you're in high school  is simple: After graduation, does it really matter who all was popular? Because the truth is most of the popular people get into the real world, and suddenly, they aren't popular anymore. They're just like everyone else. After four years, the title is gone. Who you are in high school does NOT define you. 

3.) It's okay to not drink. 

You see it everywhere; in the movies, on your Snapchat stories, and the people you follow are tweeting about it. It's impossible to avoid. And maybe it looks fun, but please hear me out. You can still have fun and not drink. Let me say it again.. YOU CAN STILL HAVE FUN AND NOT DRINK. I never felt the pressure of it in high school. It never appealed to me, and I was never invited. I liked it that way, and I feel like I was incredibly fortunate. Peer pressure is a real thing, and many find themselves a victim of it too many times. People make drinking out to look so cool, so freeing if you're depressed, struggling with something, or stressed out. I never could understand why you would want to do that to yourself. It numbs the pain only for awhile, but eventually it's going to fade out, and everything you were running from before comes back. It doesn't solve the core of the issue here. This is what I believe: It's okay to stay home on a Friday night and drink Dr. Pepper while watching One Tree Hill. It's okay to not go to a party. It's okay to not drink. Trust me, you may save yourself from so many regrets if you choose to say no. 

4.) Your parents don't hate you.

I don't know your personal relationship with your parents. I know some parents aren't involved in their kids lives, and some aren't even alive. Some make bad decisions, some have abandoned their kids. But this is a lesson I have learned in my own life. Your parents aren't out to make your life terrible. They don't say "no" because they want to disappoint you, they say no because they're looking out for you. They have your best interest at heart. My parents believed in me, encouraged me, and wouldn't let my faith fall whenever I felt discouraged about my future. They're sending me off in August because they believe in my dreams and in what God has in store for me. So before you think that they ruin everything, remember that they've sacrificed a lot for you. 

5.) Worship music changes everything.

I could write a novel on this. I'm constantly listening to those worship songs that are like 12 minutes long. I've been asked how I'm able to listen to a song that's SO long, but my reply is always, "It fills me up." As I'm writing this, I'm currently listening to worship music. It inspires me, lifts up my spirits, fills me with the presence of God, and I swear it makes my writing better. Worship music has brought me through so many hardships in my life. High school isn't always easy, and I can honestly say that I couldn't have made it without my worship songs. The one song that helped me during my senior year was Do It Again by Elevation Worship. I can't even put it into words. The only way I could explain it to you is to ask you to listen to the words. That anointing on those lyrics is crazy beautiful. I listen to that song everyday, sometimes multiple times if I'm feeling down. Find yourself a song like that, and hold it close to your heart. 

6.) Not every friendship will stay.

This is hard to talk about for me. The one thing that tears me up inside is feeling like I no longer matter to someone. The thing is.. we befriend people and always expect them to be in our lives. And for awhile, it looks that way. But people change, things change, you decide to follow different paths. I didn't always understand, I tried to fight for it, but always felt like I was losing. I still sometimes feel like I failed. Losing friends can hurt just as bad as a break up, and that's something I don't talk about often, how badly it hurt me, how badly it still hurts. The greatest thing I've come to discover is that even though this may happen, it just makes room for new friendships to come, and for other friendships to grow even stronger. And that's exactly what's happened. I'm so excited about the future, about making friends in college. God is going to make room in my heart for more accountability and godly friendships. That's what every person needs in their life. Refuse to settle in your friendships, picks GOOD people with good values. 

7.) "Love" doesn't always last.

Learned this one the hard way. This is just from complete experience. You can claim to love someone at 16 and not end up with them. You can love someone at age 17 and feel like he's forever, but he may just tell you one day that he can't be with you anymore. And you'll sit and wonder why. Why weren't you good enough? But here's what I learned from that: LET HIM GO. I believe you can probably love someone at any age, including at age 16, however, forever still has awhile before it comes. Broken hearts hurt. I had my fair share. I experienced disappointment and confusion that made many days difficult. I cried over boys, I felt the sting of rejection. But I write these words to say that it's okay, that it gets better. It's not the end of the world that he or she "stopped" loving you. Take that pain and turn it into something beautiful. Take that love you once gave that boy or girl and give it to yourself. I promise you that another person will come. And maybe several more. But eventually one is going to come and they're going to be THE ONE. And until that day comes, just love your life, love the people in it. You don't have to have a boyfriend or girlfriend in high school. Yes, it can be so much fun. But I spent half my high school experience single, and I still had a great time. God's plan is so good, know that what He has in store for you is better than what you think. Know your worth, don't settle because you're lonely. 8.) High school goes by way too fast.

I remember stepping into my freshman year expecting high school to be the slowest journey ever. I didn't understand that four years could feel like four seconds. And as I sit here now, I'm still in disbelief that I've graduated. It hasn't sunk in for me yet. I cried on my last day of school, but I didn't cry at graduation. I wonder why honestly, but maybe it's because graduation just didn't feel real while it was happening. I don't think I'll truly feel like it happened until I start my first day of college. My advice to anyone reading this that is still in high school is this: enjoy every moment. High school isn't for everyone, but make memories while you're there. Go to the Friday night football games, go to homecoming, go to volleyball games, go to winter formal, go to basketball games, participate in high school. You might meet forever friends, you might meet future doctors, lawyers, movie stars, politicians, and journalists. High school is ultimately what you make it. Make it good. Take lots of Snapchats, talk to your crush in the hallway, get in trouble for talking in class, learn something. Set your goals high, succeed in them. One day you'll be a freshman, the next moment it's your last day of senior year and you're wondering where the time went. Did you really live? Did you use that time wisely? Adulthood is approaching, so enjoy those years you have to pull the excuse, "but I'm a teenager." 

9.) Remain faithful to Jesus.

Don't ever think you can just push Jesus away during high school. You NEED Jesus every second of every day. To think you can do life without Him is far from the truth. There was so many moments in my four years that I would cry out to Jesus because I couldn't handle the weight and stress that high school brought. I always felt Him. I feel Him now. In the midst of confusion during this last year, I still heard His voice. I felt where He was leading me. I trusted when nothing made sense, and look where it's brought me. I'm attending my dream school, and that's only because of God alone making my path straight. Trust He will do the same for you when the time comes for you to decide the next step. He always comes through. Don't lose your faith. 

~
Someday. If someday were today, what path would you choose? Does it scare you? It should. The unknown is terrifying. But it's also so so beautiful. It excites me and makes me feel sick all at once. I'm ready to take the next step. 

I went to a graduation recently, and the girl was saying, "take all your favorite things about this school and carry it with you. Spread it to everyone you meet." 

I love that. Everything I loved about my school, my community, I will take with me when I leave. Do the same, be a light in this broken world. Goodness can be found in anything; find it, express it, be it.