Graduation Day

Andrew M.

“I wish I knew how hard it would be to let go of the past.” These are the words that my brother spoke to me as he was finishing up his high school career. Those words have stuck with me for my high school career.

I go back to his senior night. This is where the school he went to does all of the awards the seniors have achieved in their las year in high school. The awards very from athletic to academic. As all the kids were getting called up to get their awards, I noticed that my brother did not go up there as many times as some of the other kids. So as a curious little kid I asked my parents and they responded with “oh, those are the smart kids” so then I went on watching the rest of the program. But something did not feel right, like my parents were not telling my some.

So the next day I approached my brother with the same question I had asked my parents the night earlier, and he started to doge the question by asking me a bunch of different question way off topic. And as the younger brother I did not notice this at the time. This went on for a good hour or in till my parents got home because I did not want them to know. In the weeks leading up to his graduation ceremony, I became more and more curious not only about what happened that night but about my brother's life.

It is the day of graduation, and I see my brother putting on his dark blue cap and gown. And I saw my opening to corner him and finally get my answer that has been driving me crazy for the past month. I walk into his room as he was putting on his cap and it took a lot of courage to ask him why he was not getting as many awards as the other kids. He tried to avoid the question, but I was determined to get my answer. So he started to explain that he did not try as hard as he could of during his high school career. He went on to explain that he never studied or never did homework and that hurt him when he tried to apply to colleges. But at that moment he said “I wish I knew how hard it would be to let go of the past.” when he said that it all clicked. I did not think that school was important in till the last couple of year but this was a wake up call. I realized that he wanted to go back and change things but it was to late. He made me realize that letting go is the hardest thing you can do as a person.