Our lives are meant to be cherished

When I was in high school, my best friend compared my irrational fear of spiders to an elephant being afraid of a mouse.

In response to her comment, I made her feel bad by asking her why she would call me an elephant, considering she knew I was self-conscious of being at least a head taller than the rest of my friends.

Last weekend, we took a trip to Indianapolis for X-Fest, a rock concert at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. We were discussing a recent spider encounter I had, in which she jokingly called me an elephant.

We told our new friends about how the joke had started, and we realized the first incident took place about eight years prior.

As the conversation came to an end, I began to realize how time seemed to crawl by while we were Linton-Stockton students.

That is no longer the case.

Now, years pass by in the blink of an eye. It seems once I get used to writing one year in my checkbook, it's almost time to start writing the next one.

My best friend has been by my side for a decade, and 10 years later I can remember the first time we had a sleep over.

My niece is turning 5-years-old in October, and I remember sleeping in the waiting room -- anxious for her arrival.

Next summer is my five-year high school reunion, and I feel like I just wandered across the stage in the high school gym.

My friends and I talk about the memories of the dumb -- yet fun -- things we did on long summer nights and weekend road trips.

Time has began to speed up now that I have reached adulthood, and I don't know whether to rejoice or be afraid.

In my state of confusion, I decided just to go with the pace and enjoy every step of the way.

Despite my age, I will always have a loving family, good friends and fond memories.

Looking into the future, my life can only get better, as long as I stay on the path I have created for myself.

Life is meant to be cherished and lived to the fullest extent, in my own opinion.

I look back at high school and college, and sometimes I scold myself for spending all my time studying and working, but in the end it has made me who I am today.

I won't look at those sleepless nights as time lost, but friendships and experiences gained.

I may be one of few people who can look around at my life, and be completely content with my direction.

I may have few material objects in my house, but that structure has become my home.

Every time I stressed over the bills that continued to pile up on my kitchen table, it was a shove to work just a little harder.

I have family and friends that love me for the silly, fun-loving person I am.

Focusing on the amount of time passed can make you miss precious moments.

Sabrina is a staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. She can be reached by email at swestfall@gcdailyworld.com or by telephone at 847-4487.