What advice would you give seniors with only a couple months of high school left? www.cheathamnews.com

What would you tell a senior who will be graduating in just a few short months?  Seniors, soon to be graduates of the Class of 2017, will close a chapter of their life, new chapters are waiting but for today they’re still high school seniors.

If you’re a high school graduate, or shared in the bittersweetness of senior year, you already know how the chapter ends.

On the morning of graduation day they’ll awaken, if they slept at all, anticipating the day.

The hour will come when the cap and gown, laid out ready and waiting the night before, is put on.  They’ll line up, standing proud, smiling with their friends, waiting to hear the graduation march, signaling it’s time!   Seniors walk in, cameras are flashing, moms are smiling while crying remembering as if it were yesterday, the day they started this journey in Kindergarten.   Dad’s appear to be holding it together, proud of their child, some trying to hide shedding a tear or two, others unable to speak for the lump in their throat.

It’s emotional, exciting and bittersweet for everyone, only the seniors don’t quite realize this yet, but one day they will.

Seats are taken advice from Valedictorians, Salutatorians, class presidents, teachers, principals and district school leaders are stated.  Each graduating senior will be called by name, walking across the stage, hands are shaken, diplomas presented and they will be asked to move their tassels from one side to the other, signifying ‘they made it’.   Then it will be announced, “I now present to you the graduating class of 2017” followed by seniors tossing their graduating caps high into the air and in that single moment, while the cap soars high above their heads… time stops for mere seconds.

You’ll suddenly envision a little child without a care in the world smiling, laughing, chasing butterflies flying just out of their reach, can’t you hear the little laugh?  It’s such a sweet sound!  The roar of laughter and cheers jolt you back to reality as graduation caps are caught, the high school years will have officially come to an end.

Once outside they will rush to find their best friends for ‘one last picture’, ‘one last hug’, promising to get together, call, stay in touch.  As we know, some friends will stay close, others will drift and some become fond memories.

Right now, it’s 1:00 in the afternoon as I’m and reflecting on my senior year, the days of yesterday when I dreamt of tomorrows and being done with high school, growing up, hurrying, no, racing full speed ahead toward the future, unbeknownst to how quickly the years would pass or that roads would take friends on adventures far away from our small town, never to return.  If I could go back, I’d spend time with friends I assumed would always be in my life, laugh more, worry less about others thought of me and value who I was then because it would lead me to where I am today.

Yes, I’m being a bit melancholy as I think of my daughter, the second of my three children, graduating in May, walking across the very stage her dad and I, as well as her brother, walked across to graduate high school.   I know today, tomorrow will be here soon enough and I need to stop, remember, take in the memories and not rush.  It leads me to question, what advice should I give her right now, today, for her last few months of high school?  I believe I would tell her to enjoy the journey she’s on right here, right now; value herself, the person she is today because she’s beautiful, valuable, smart and creative.  I’d remind her over and over to make memories, value the next hundred days, not take them for granted, take lots of pictures, laugh until she cries, make lasting memories and worry about rushing toward her future another day.

What advice would you give?  What advice have you given?  What advice do you wish someone had shared with you the last few months of high school?  What advice can we come together to give the Graduates of 2017?

Cheatham News is working on compiling advice to publish, for the senior classes of 2017.   Your advice, comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.   If you’d please place “yes” or “no” in (parenthesis) giving or denying Cheatham News the permission to quote your comment, advice, or suggestion along with your name.  Please submit comments, suggestions or advice on or before February 28, 2017 in the comment section below or they can be sent in an email to [email protected].   The article will be published no later than mid-March!

Thank you for taking the time to read a little piece of what’s on my heart today. I look forward to reading what you share!


Cheatham News (c) 2017