My Dear Graduating Class

My dear graduating friends. We are all in a transitional period. A period where we truly change from child and adolescent into adults. we are trading in our naivety for awareness. We are truly learning the meaning of the words The Real World.
Myself for example. and I am sure many of you can relate. I have lost the one thing that has kept me sane the last 3 years, my drama class. I forum for similar minds and my sanctuary. a place where no one could hurt me, and if I was hurt, a place where I could heal. The one place I could walk into and find someone who knew my name. Yet, as a graduate, I too had to say my good bye to the drama class.
The real world is a place more vicious than we realize, but its not to say its scarier than what we've already been through. many of us have faced puberty, lost a parent or loved one, had a friend move away and have maybe once or twice contemplated suicide. But we are all still here, moving on in life, some of us to become a doctor, a lawyer, an electrical technician, a navy seal or maybe even just another average joe. But what is it that has kept us here still? perseverance? luck? maybe even both or even an unnamed item, but all in all, Friendship.
Friends are what drive us to be ourselves, to better ourselves and to lower ourselves. Friends are what keep us sane when everything goes wrong and what makes us insane when everything goes correctly. You may come to find that friends in the real world are easier to lose than to gain. For every two friends that leave, we find comfort in one. And when we see that that one friend is suffering we try to better ourselves in order to help them. We push ourselves to the limit and do whatever thoughts come to mind that even hint at being helpful, yet sometimes its not enough. The thought counts, but our actions still need to impact... but they don't always.
This is when we realize that the real world is hard. it is harsh and if you let it, it will eat you alive. But it will only do it if you let it... and that's by doing everything yourselves. you have to accept help and learn to ask for it.

Don't let yourselves be alone, don't reject help from others, don't forget your friends. Remember my graduating class... although this message is months late, that it is friendship that has kept us strong, let it be what helps you grow stronger.