Welcome, my young friend
to a place where expectations are never met;
where pain is amplified a thousand times;
where peers’ opinions are valued above any adult wisdom.
There’s a long road ahead of you,
and it won’t be easy.

You’ll experience every emotion known to man,
and then some.
You’ll attempt to live up to others’ standards.
You’ll fail.
Your parents will exasperate the vinegar out of you,
but they’ll be your best friends and greatest allies.
You’ll be disappointed with yourself,
and you won’t know why.
Once or twice, you might think about ending your life.
You won’t.

Because you’ll make friends.
You’ll discover talents you didn’t know you had.
You’ll laugh until you cry.
You’ll binge-watch Friends--more than once.
Ice cream will take an important role in your life.
Sometimes, late at night, you’ll ponder the meaning of life,
and wonder at your marvelous existence.

Welcome, my friend,
to a place where emotion is king;
where hair and makeup are of greater importance than intelligence and integrity;
where friends are made quickly and lost easily;
where you’ll dream about the future and pine for the past;
where everything will begin and end,
all at once.
It’s a long, painful, glorious ride.
And, boy, is it worth it.