Appreciating her high school years

Prior to my senior year, leaving Cedarhurst was the prize after living in the same town for all my life. “Finally,” I often thought to myself, “finally, I get to leave this all behind.”

And then, occupied by the college applications, by advanced placement classes, by fundraisers and Hurricane Sandy, I didn’t really think about how quickly the end of my high school career at Lawrence was approaching.

It seems as if this school year, I have been focusing solely on the present. I was always living in “the now,” honing in on what needs to be done, worrying about what was on my plate at that exact moment. I didn’t know how strange the end would make me feel.

The moment I realized that the end was within my grasp was when my student government advisor handed me my very first tassel. Every year, one day, the seniors would walk around the school, with tassels draped around their neck. As underclassmen, we’d watch the tassels swing rhythmically, the ends brushing across the seniors’ chests. And now, they’re our tassels.

Since that moment, my days at Lawrence have been savored and spent wisely. With our yearbooks clutched to our chests and our backpacks free of homework, I spend most of my time reminiscing with friends.

A friend has been using the term “graduation goggles” a lot lately and I find that all my friends and I are wearing them. I believe that wearing them isn’t a bad thing. The goggles contribute a sweet, nostalgic haze on my perspective. The sadness hasn’t really hit me yet; I’ll save that for the graduation ceremony.

Although four long years have jaded the seniors, I wouldn’t change my high school experience for anything in the world. I complain. I groan. Moving on from such memorable years is hard to do. Though it is inevitable, change can be hard. The only thing I can do it is to accept it and appreciate the time I have spent within this community.

Bae will be attending NYU.