Well I did it. I finally graduated high school. I've been super excited and happy this whole weekend, but I don't think the reality of it has fully sunken in. The reason may be because I still have to wrap some things up and do a few exams.
I never thought I'd make it here. I won't say my high school experience has been the best, even though I am home schooled. But I do feel like I have accomplished the greatest thing just by graduating. There were so many obstacles, so many things that would come up and make it seem like I'd never make it here. And yet, I did.
Looking back on my testimony from my teen years, it's such a wonderful accomplishment to finally have all the hard work pay off and be able to stand here and say that I did it. No matter what life threw at me, I did it. It makes everything worthwhile. It just shows what a little perseverance and hard work can do and the drive to get it done.
For the past few months, I looked ahead at this with a sense of dread. Sounds strange, I know, but for some reason, I couldn't get excited about life after graduation. I'm still not entirely sure why this happened, but what I suspect played a part in it was my constant fear of getting older and the constant "What are you going to do after high school?" questions that put pressure on me to "hurry up and decide."
For those of you wondering and still asking, I have decided. I will be working at Stillwood again (Year 3, woot woot!) as a Sr. Counselor before taking off to Paraguay for 6 months. There is also more that I am considering for next year but nothing has been confirmed yet. Eventually I hope to study music more thoroughly in hopes of pursuing a career as a singer. Of course many say this is not a practical career, but I believe in following dreams, even if they do not always seem like realities at first. I am also considering working with children in the future as I have always loved being with them.
The question that is asked the most is "And have you integrated God into your plan?" To me, this is a bit of an obvious question because even in times when I haven't listened to God in the past, I always end up right back with Him and His plan for me. So yes, I believe I am following the direction that God wants me to go. It's not always easy and lately it has caused a bit of sadness in my life, but I know that following God is the best decision I can ever make and God plays a huge part in my life.
I was filled with dread and fear with the idea of graduating, but now, I'm not anymore. I'm really excited for what God has in store for me and I'm looking forward to living life! So for those of you who were wondering, there you go! :) Naomi is all grown up now and ready to roll!
