I FINISH HIGH SCHOOL//The Glories, The Tears, The Cake
by
R.F. Gammon
- June 15, 2020
Note: This post is adapted from my graduation speech...
High school has been a journey. It hasn’t just been academics, and it hasn’t just been life, but the two mingle together and I want to talk a little about both. Because these years were such a big deal to me, here are some highlights.
Freshman year. Ninth grade, 14 years old. A year of upheaval. I took nine classes because I thought it would be cool. I realized I had no idea how to be friends with girls my age. Medical scares. My first heartbreak. It was a year marked by loss, and yet full of growth. A year God used for good, even though at the time it was like walking through the valley of the shadow.
Sophomore year. 15 years old, and the easiest year comparatively. I don’t think any of you want the gory details about the time I spent crying in the bathroom that year, so I won’t share any *insert laugh* but let’s just say… I cried, a lot. I questioned, a lot. I ached. I bled. But I also laughed, and I realized that life was beautiful. I made friends. I started a blog. I started to grow in spirit, even though that was the point I stopped growing upward. And now here I am, stuck at 5’1”. *long sigh*
Junior year. 16 years old—first job, first college classes. I spent most of that year hunched over my computer. I learned how to manage my time and how to get up in the morning and how to make do on six hours of sleep. Still haven’t mastered making do on less than that, but don’t worry—college is around the corner. *laugh* I made more coffees than any person here could possibly drink in their lifetime, and I discovered, at age 16, an outpouring of something that would become the greatest love of my life so far—storytelling.
And now… senior year. I went into it declaring that it was my easy year. My year to grab a few credits I didn’t need, sack out, and make money. The first semester went off without a hitch. But then 2020 hit, and I don’t think I need to talk about the dumpster fire that has been 2020. Even without the outside trials, though, this would’ve been a hard enough year. Friendships shaken, some of my surest foundations ripped away, the weight of stress and decisions and money money money placed on my shoulders.
It’s been a year.
But here is the truth: God is good. In the midst of all this, God is good. Throughout high school, more even than the Pythagorean theorem or the square root of c or how to craft a thesis, that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned. That’s what will stick with me: He is good. Always.
I love my family. I love my friends. Thank you to the blogging community and to everyone who's touched my life. It's been beautiful and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Senior Year Playlist on Spotify
MY LIFE IN MEMES
