Counting Down the Days

5/6/2024

By Deanna W., Grade 11

Did you know that we have seven Fridays left until summer? And that includes this week, and break. Seven Fridays. In fact, 35 Fridays have already passed. I know because I counted them. Fridays are like milestones to me. Every Friday that passes is an accomplishment because it means I somehow got through another week of math class.

But I have been so busy worrying about Fridays that I am in danger of forgetting the true milestones that happened this year. I’m losing sight of the dances, the assemblies, the difference between getting through math and passing it. And I have been looking so far down the road that I forgot that there is precious time left.

In a lot of ways, high school is about the future, especially at a place like Stanstead. You came here to improve your English, to get into a great college, to prepare for the job market. And there are bonus lessons too, like how to survive in a power outage or -40-degree weather.

But at the end of the day, I have been at Stanstead for four years now. That’s 178 Fridays, and I can confidently say that no matter how long you have been here, or how long you intend to stay, nothing about the next seven Fridays will be the same as any other time in your life. I know for a fact I will always remember a week ago when I played rugby for an hour in the snow at the end of April.

But even rugby in the snow I'm glad I experienced. There are so many things I am glad I experienced, that I still get to experience, and come summer, times up. That's the deadline. In seven Fridays.

My dad’s favourite philosopher (because of course he has a favourite philosopher...) says that “Enthusiasm is the mother of effort.” We all put effort into the spring, whether it be with sports or academics, but it is the enthusiasm that comes with the warm weather and high UV that makes the last few weeks the most memorable. Don't look at those seven Fridays like light at the end of a tunnel. Look at them as the opportunity for excitement. After all, time flies when you're having fun.