Gab,

 

Younger me and older me, you, are the only ones reading this so let’s be honest about everything. It’s 2:33 am (typical) on April 14th, 2020. This letter was originally an AP Lit assignment but with what life is like right now, in the middle of a global pandemic, I really wanted to do this anyway. It’s a cool time capsule of life. So let’s get this party started…

For starters, I have about 7 assignments that are overdue, but I’m a second semester senior, I’m not supposed to care. On top of that, nothing can be late AND nothing can hurt your grade during this eLearning time. Please tell me where I’m supposed to get my motivation? Anyway, it’s an oddly relaxing feeling that I’m experiencing because for the past 3.5 years, having this many things to do would stress me out. When I tell you I’m not stressed out in the slightest, I mean AT ALL. It’s… nice? This is how the second semester of senior year of high school is supposed to be, except instead of sleeping and eating all day, spending hours on Tik Tok, working out twice a day, and doing nothing, I’m supposed to be spending my entire day with my friends. Driving down Ogden for hours, getting food at 2 am on a school night and not giving a crap about homework, enjoying the last couple of rebellious months with the people I grew up with. But we’re in quarantine. Stuck. Inside. The. House. It’s weird. People have been stocking up on toilet paper (makes no sense to me) and hand sanitizer. Hospitals are running out of N95 respirators and masks because normal people bought them all out. Famous people are sick (Tom Hanks and Colton Underwood, to name a few). There is no longer such a thing as “a quick trip to Walgreens”. All restaurants are closed. Of course, there have been some friend groups at North that I have seen continuing to hang out amidst the stay-at-home and social distancing order, which is infuriating. But I’m doing the best I can because I want this over ASAP.

 

I want to take the time to honor EXACTLY every senior event I am missing, along with the last months of plain old life before adulthood:

• • Airband (my group, readyAIRnot, has practiced since January, and worked our HEARTS out for this performance)
  • Spring Dance (we’re supposed to get to wear the short dresses this time)
  • Senior Celebration (nothing would’ve beat staying at the school until 1 am having the time of my life with my friends, eating and playing games)
  • Senior Brunch (I want to hear who people think is most likely to be president…)
  • Senior Spirit Week (I want to see everyone wearing a shirt of their school so I can see where everyone is going)
  • Senior Day (?) (Whenever we get all the fun festivities during the day, like the hypnotist, and I think we all head down to Centennial beach this day as well)
  • Prom (my $450 dress hangs on my closet, taunting me every single day)
  • Prom Weekend (giant sleepover with friends not giving a crap about anything?…)
  • Senior Ditch Day (yeah I skip a lot of school, but this one is planned and it just hits different)
  • Graduation (hearing my name and walking the stage to earn what I’ve been working hard to get for the last 12 years)

I’m sure the memories of everything you lost sparked some tears. But I would like to interrupt with some positive things that are happening right now to prove there is light in the darkness:

• I have been texting a lot with my roommate for college next year, Kaelyn, and we have decided a theme for our room and are getting decorations and it is super exciting!
• I’m working on my own health. Mental and emotional, but especially physical and spiritual. I eat super healthy and workout twice a day and I’m so happy about it. I spend some time every day with the Lord, journaling and reading scripture. It’s refreshing.
• My Joy Jar continues to fill up, even in the midst of the tragedy we are experiencing. Some examples:
  • March 26th: played Clue with Karina and Dillon until midnight – I won;)
  • April 1st: Milligan scholarship press release came out
  • April 7th: 75 degrees outside!!!!

 

I have definitely learned how to not listen to other people’s opinions. No matter what, I am ALLOWED to be upset about everything that is getting cancelled. And that is that. End of story. But, I hope to come out the other side of this a stronger person with a passion for living life. Every single day, we are lucky to even wake up, and so the best thing to do with that is LIVE THE LIFE WE WERE GIVEN. 

 

Life is crazy right now. But I’m happy. I’m grateful. And I’m strong.

Lots of love,
Gab