Well, here’s to the weirdest year of school I’ve ever had. If someone told me in September that the last day of school would be in March, that “senior skip day” would be “senior skip three months,” and that there would be a nationwide toilet paper shortage, I would have laughed and told them to get a grip.

When Governor Jay Inslee first announced that we would be out of school for 6 weeks, I couldn’t believe it. I thought we might be out for one to two weeks at most, and even that was a stretch. After school that day, I visited all my teachers to say “goodbye for now,” not knowing it would be the last time I would see them.

My first thoughts after the announcement about school being canceled for the rest of the year were, “Why did this have to happen during my senior year? What about the musical and prom and the last choir and band concerts and graduation?” I’ll admit, I was (and still am) pretty disappointed about missed opportunities, events, and memories.

But then I realized that if it didn’t happen during my senior year, it would have happened during someone else’s senior year and they would have to go through the same disappointment the class of 2020 is going through now. The more I think about it, the more I realize I will probably remember this year more than I would if it had it gone normally. Sure there won’t be prom or spring sports or senior mother tea, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue making memories with our friends in different ways.

I think being away from school has made me value my friends even more and brought me closer to them. Without school, sports practice, and music rehearsals, I’ve had time to call and talk to classmates, friends, and family I wouldn’t have otherwise and pursue other interests and hobbies that bring me joy and satisfaction. For example, I’m currently learning Clair de Lune on piano and am rediscovering my passion for piano. I’ve also rediscovered my passion for napping, which has done wonders for the sanity of my family.

While this definitely isn’t the senior year I expected, it doesn’t mean that it deserves any less appreciation or that it is any less valuable. Sometimes the memories you didn’t expect to make are the ones you cherish the most.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you’re a senior and would like to write an opinion-editorial piece to publish on The Camasonian, email [email protected] Please include your story and a senior photo for publication.