Letter to Me

So it is May and that means that yet another group of high school seniors will be graduating and everyone moves up to the next grade in school. Well I don't know why but this time of year always finds me with mixed emotions, and there is so much that I just look a back on and say only if I could have told myself what I know now then things would have gone better then. Well in way Brad Paisley does his in this song "Letter to Me". So that song has inspired me to do just that write a letter to me at the end senior year of high school. So this post is really the thoughts that I want to share with the class of 2009 (rising college freshman). So i just want to share with all of you some thoughts about what I feel was the most important year of my life so far.

So here it goes,

Congratulations on your graduation from high school, enjoy it because this is one of the most special and meaningful events of your life that will never be matched by another. I know that you are stepping out into a new chapter of your life and that you are facing it with excitement, joys, and fears of the unknowns of this new world around you. I hope that this coming summer you will be responsible in enjoying what will be the freest 3 months of your life. For most of you this will be 1st time since you were in middle school that you have not had something for school in the summer (band, sports, ect.). And yes I hate to break it to you summers will one day come to an end, as I am now about to start my last one. So enjoy it, but please be safe and be smart with it.

As this summer ends comes the fall, and for most of you that will read this, comes college and your first year of freedom, and what is the first year of the rest of your life. Do not waste this year of your life, this one is very important because it lays the foundation for all the others. Enjoy this time, because you only get to go to college once and it can be as fun as you make it. I know that at times it will seem hard and you will get down but remember that is one of the great stages on the journey of life. So as you embark down this path I just want to share the following thoughts with you:

1) Stay true to your faith, this next year is when so many people will fall away from church. Do not allow this to happen to you, and keep your friends accountable from doing so, and have them keep you accountable too.

2) Also let those who are special to you know that they are, because you never know when the last time you will see them will be.

3) Make time to rest, you need it!

4) Never burn bridges with people, because you think they will be people of your past.

5) Don't forget where you came from, that place has done a lot for you show it a little respect in return.

6) Stand up for what you believe in, your values are what make you who you are and stand up for them when someone or something goes against them. But be open to new views.

7) Be open to new views, of old things

8) Be yourself, never change in order to fix in. You are special and people must know to accept you for who are not who they want you to be. People who want to change so they will be your friend are not really friends.

*These last two only Homewood fokes will get.*

9) Do everything with honor and be loyal to anything you commit to.

10) "Remember to make good choices." Dyer Carlisle