Did you imagine you’d be here four years ago?

Maybe you didn’t think you’d physically get this far. Maybe you thought you would give up by now. Or maybe you thought that you couldn’t do it.  Whatever it may be, you’re here. You made it. And I’m so proud of you for hanging on and pushing through.

We made it through a lot this year. We survived a global pandemic. We protested for equality in the summer. We voted in a presidential election in November. We applied to colleges and universities almost all on our own. We made it.

This past year, I learned a lot. I learned that it’s okay to take time for myself and take breaks here and there if I need them. I learned that not everything is going to be perfect or go the way I want it to, and I have to be okay with that. I learned how important it is to be compassionate and understanding. I learned that the sun will come out and everything will be okay.

A lot of us forget to slow down sometimes. We forget to breathe. However, the pandemic forced us to do that. Those first few months of quarantine felt like the world stopped turning. We had so much more time to ourselves.

We picked up new hobbies, listened to new music, watched new shows. In just a year, we learned so much more about ourselves. You and I are not the same people we were a year ago. Nor are we the same people we were four years ago.

We definitely didn’t see our high school career ending this way. A socially distanced prom is not exactly what I imagined our last dance would look like, but at least I won’t have to worry about how I look under my mask. And we might not be getting the huge graduation ceremony we thought we would get, but don’t let that take away from how happy you should be. You’re graduating. You got through high school. Sure, we didn’t see our high school career ending this way, but isn’t that what makes finishing it so much more satisfying? None of this was expected, and yet we did it. We made it.

And here we are.

Now, we’re about to actually graduate. About to go out on our own. About to become an adult. And growing up scary enough on its own. But right now, with a pandemic to worry about, it seems even scarier. However, nothing lasts forever.

Did you imagine you’d be here four years ago? Absolutely not. Everything I’ve gone through made me who I am today, and I like who I am now. I’m proud of where I am and I’m proud of where you are. We made it. You made it.

With love,

Victoria