Dear Kindergarten Leilani,
You are about to start school. Those days at home with mom are over. And the next 12 years of your life will begin. But don’t worry, the things you learn, the friends and memories you make are all worth it – and I am sorry to tell you but homework is “torture,” all the way up until you graduate. You are gonna make a lot of mistakes along the way. But each one will build you into the person you will become. Never lose your little spark, and always get excited over the little things. These next 12 years are what you make it. And trust me, you are gonna make it all yours. This is your world to conquer.
Dear Third Grade Leilani,
Girl. You got this school thing down (not the homework part though). And you don’t know it yet, but you are gonna try and start a newspaper at your elementary school. You talked to your elementary principal and everything. It doesn’t happen. But guess what, you become the editor in chief of a nationally known high school newspaper program. So until then, never lose your ambition and drive to hard things.
Dear Seventh Grade Leilani,
You have just entered the most awkward period of your life. Those skinny jeans and high ponytails will be one of your biggest regrets. And after a failed attempt in volleyball, you started running. Little do you know, it will become the love of your life and biggest heartbreak. You are gonna make some of your best friends that shape you into the person you will become. Enjoy them while they last, friends grow apart and that is okay. High school is just around the corner, and you have plenty of time to grow up, so enjoy being a kid. Remember you are not too cool for anything, and once it’s gone you’re gonna wish you would have taken advantage of these next two years.
Dear Freshman Leilani,
Holy crap. You are in high school now?! It’s nothing like High School Musical. Your running career has really taken off. Just to let you know your cross country coach, Lindsey isn’t a girl. But he will be one of the most influential people in high school. You are gonna make so many friends, and lose old ones. But it is for the better. You are gonna have one year with your big sister in school. Take advantage of it. You are gonna miss meeting her in the hallway, the after school jam sessions on the way home, and being glued to the hip (when she’s in a good mood lol). She introduced you to the journalism program, and throughout the next four years, as your classes change, your friends change. The one thing that remains constant is that little journalism room in the corner of the school. Where Mallett and Dearinger create a safe haven that you will spend A LOT of time in. Little do you know that your best memories will be in that room and with those people, you just don’t know it yet. Four years may seem like an eternity, but it’s not.
Dear Junior Leilani,
Watch out world, she’s an upperclassman now. The last two years flew by right? Just wait, so will these next two. But don’t worry, you’ve got this. I know you are already stressing about college and have your heart set on the University of Washington, but trust me when I say at the age of 18 you are nowhere near ready to move all the way to Seattle on your own. Instead, you are gonna start looking for a school in Texas, which I know you swore you would never do, but everything happens for a reason. Dude, you’re the entertainment editor now! It might seem like a really small role, but there is so much more stored for you. Mallett and Dearinger are still your most favorite teachers, and you’re gonna have some hard goodbyes to the seniors you have grown so close too. As you watch them walk the stage at graduation, you are gonna start realizing that in a very short year that will be you. I know growing up is starting to feel scarier and scarier but there’s nothing you can do to stop it. You kinda just have to go with it, but that’s what every adult is doing. You will start to realize that highschool is not forever and time is quickly running out, but this year is the most perfect time to take advantage of the freedoms of being an upperclassman with the safety net of one more year of being a kid.
Dear Senior Leilani,
This is it. You made it. On your last first day of school, you’ll see the small freshman, and they will be wishing they were you. But little do they know you are wishing to be them. The Senior Bucket list you made is SO WORTH IT. And Senioritis is a real thing. These last four years went by way faster than you could have imagined. You are captain of the cross country team and the editor in chief of the newspaper. You’re gonna make the hardest decision to end your running career in high school, and those teammates, miles and meets are going to make for a really hard end to that chapter. Cherish that journalism room, and those people with everything in you because before you know it you will be walking that stage. And don’t stress, you find your school. Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Guess what? It’s on a little island only five hours away. Your parents, Mallett, Dearinger, and Coach Lindsey were with you every step of the way and you will be forever grateful for the memories you have with them. Your time and dedication to newspaper paid off too with a Best of SNO, Pacemaker and Best of Show. You are like good or whatever. Senior year is gonna fly by, so take in everyday because this chapter of your life is something you will never get back.
Dear Future Leilani,
18-year-old Lani is so proud of you. Wherever you are in life, you took the time to look back, remember us and the years that shaped you into the person you are today. I hope you have gotten better at this whole growing up thing because right now I have no idea what I am doing. As you navigate through this world, always remember your roots and what it took to get you where you are now. Without trial and error are you really adulting? Always stay true to yourself and cherish the younger versions of you, because we are your biggest fans. Remember to take in every moment, enjoy those around you and never stress the little things, because in the grand scheme of this thing we call life, it is really not that serious. And you are not getting any younger. As the years go by your attachment to this chapter of life will fade, but when one chapter ends a new one always begins. And that one, is still yours to conquer. You got this.
Signing off,
Leilani Nadine Fierro
