Notice the Little Things by Lawson

Notice the Little Things by Lawson - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Life is too short to get caught up in the flurry of everything. The little things matter too much. To put something into perspective, almost two-fifths of every person’s life is spent in grade school. Yes, a bigger and better adult life exists for everybody, but what about the friends that have been made? What about the family that is soon to be left behind when college time arrives? What about the memories?
Parents tend to say, “Oh come on. When you leave for college, you won’t see them again. You’ll have different lives”. I’m sure everyone with the chance to read this has had to part ways with a best friend at some point. The pleasure of seeing him or her everyday afterschool, the pleasure of getting to laugh and smile with them, in the blink of an eye, could possibly not be a reality anymore. Of course Skype, FaceTime, and other audio/video calling applications exist, but the feeling of being with him or her and doing everything with them just is no longer available. So, cherish the time you spend with the person you can call brother or sister and realize just how long you two or even three have left.
Not only should the moments with best friends be kept close, but also the time spent with family. As much as mom or dad want their child to grow up, they ironically do not realize that similar to your best friend, they are about to be left behind too. Family members are easily the most supportive in my life. They cheer me on, lift me up, and support my decisions. I made the mistake of not cherishing the moments I got towards the end of high school, and have weakened my relationships with them as a result, which will make the soon to be created void a tad bit bigger. So please do not toss the dinners, the nights out, the vacations, and the moments to the side because love like that cannot be disregarded.
What would life be like without pictures? Not many memories would be held dear. Today, people keep the memories with their friends and family as pictures to look back over years later and reminisce. If there was one thing I could change it would be not forgetting to capture the special moments. For instance, in many years I will not have the satisfaction of remembering the One Act Play trips that were almost magical because without pictures, every great moment will not be reminisced. “College is the best time of your life”, a commonly heard phrase, probably is not wrong. However, high school has been the highlight of my life so far, and I do not want to forget much of it, except for maybe college-level calculus. So please, please don’t brush over the little instances worth so much more than a surface level glance.
Best friends, family members, and memories are just too valuable to not be noticed. Soon, you could lose one, two, or even all three. So just don’t let the little things stay little things. Notice them, and cherish them.