Lexi b’s blog #11 - This Year’s Teachings

In less than a month, I will turn 16. This may come as a surprise to some of you guys that I am still, in fact, 15. I’m pretty much the baby of our class, but I’ve learned to live with the fact that there are kids in the grade below us who are older than me. While I prepare to take the next step of my life, I have reflected on this past year. It was long, eye-opening, hard, and wonderful all at the same time. One of the first things the 15th year of my life taught me was to always have good friends. My friends have helped me through some of the hardest times of my life, and I couldn’t be more thankful. They let me cry on their shoulder when I thought my world was crumbling apart. They gave me the best advice on everything from school to clothes to boys. Without them, my life would be miserable. The second thing I learned was how precious life truly is. For those of you who don’t know, my dad got diagnosed with a disease that affects his breathing and control over his body. It makes simple things like eating and grocery shopping difficult. He never lets it affect him, though. He always has a smile on his face and always has a joke to crack. His attitude on life made me realize that I should be thankful for my good health and wonderful life. More recently, my step dad had a heart attack. He had to have a full heart surgery done. It was unsure if he’d make it through the surgery, but he pushed through. Seeing him after the surgery made me realize how much I really did love him. Sure, he gets on my nerves, but he is my family. I now know to always cherish my family, because I never know when our last day together will be. The last thing this past year taught me was to never pass up an opportunity. If your dad wants to go get donuts at 6 in the morning like mine does, then go with him. If your mom wants you to tag along while she grocery shops, tag along! If your friends calls you up and wants to ride around town, go ride around! Life is too short to say no to things that make you happy. My motto for the past year has been, “if today was your last day, would you be happy with how it went?” Living by this made my 15th year of life spectacular. As I enjoy these last few weeks of 15, I will not forget everything I’ve learned. I will carry this on with me into my next year of life and try to make this my best year yet.