As I write this, I realize that the next time I blink, I will be presented with my high school diploma in my hand and I will be pushed into the world of “adulting.” Ok, that may be an exaggeration, but you get my point about how time flies when you are in high school.

My freshman year, like many others, I decided that I would go to as many events as possible. My weekends were suddenly filled with football games, spending time with my friends and finishing my homework. That same school year, I lost something in the process: time with others that mattered to me.

I only realized this when I watched my sister one night during my sophomore year. I was attempting to put her to bed when I noticed something. She had a blanket on her bed. This was not just any blanket, but a blanket with various pictures of my younger self printed into it. I asked my three-year-old sister at the time why she slept with this blanket and she told me,“I miss you sometimes Lea.” I realized in that moment I was forgetting to prioritize something: my relationships.

Not only did I forget to spend time with my family, but also the importance of being there for others. I missed out on people in my family getting older and growing up. My little brother was no longer tiny and asking to play “hungy hungy hippos.” All these simple moments that I was missing out on seemed to be adding up.

When I attend college, I will no longer be spending Saturdays making my sister pancakes, my dad’s jokes will no longer be there to annoy me and I will have to find other methods of procrastination, other than watching TV with my little brother. These memories of becoming an adult will still be there. However, they will only exist if I make time for them to be made in the first place.

High school is about experiencing Friday night football games and spring musicals.  You should go out and have these experiences but realize that high school does not last forever, your family does.