“And how time flies, but she still has one thing to hold onto: the memories”

Hi beautiful people! How are you doing on this lovely day?

Today as you can probably tell from the title, we have yet another reflection post. This is amazingly insane because it seemed like only yesterday it was the end of grade 6. I remember sitting down at my living room table and writing a ‘end of school year reflection’ post. All the memories flashed through my head, the good ones – and the bad ones. Each year is a year of growth and a new journey, so that brings us to this post!

I remember being so happy in the summer, knowing that I was going into an intermediate grade. (Grade 7) I was ready for it, I was ready to be back in school. I remember doing online at the end of last year, and the hopes that we would go back to school, but that never happened. So you can imagine how insanely excited I was when September arrived. I had everything planned – school supplies, a new backpack, even some fancy masks.

And so the year started. I got to see my friends, I did a lot of work, and I gotta say, even if this year was half online, half in person, it was still a pretty great year. So many things changed, and even though my mindset probably stayed pretty similar, I feel like a different person. Last year I think God was teaching me to stay positive during the rough times, and I think that was a preparation for this year, because there certainly were rough times. It’s made me stronger, knowing that a different mindset can change the whole situation.

I went through a lot of downs this year. Whether it was a bad grade on a test, or a rude comment from someone. I had bad days where I didn’t want to go to school, let alone do any work. School was especially important this year, and strict. I needed to work hard for what I wanted my grade to be.

But along with the bad days, there were good days too. I think there were more good days than bad days, at least for me. Days where I laughed with my friends, got a lot of work done, and felt proud of myself during the time we were all going through. I think this year I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many times you fall, it matters how you get back up from it. 

So, no doubt, every year has a special place for growth. Each one felt different, and it’s so amazing that we grow so much over just one year. Although this year wasn’t like the normal, that’s what made it fun and exciting, like a plot twist in our own personal story.

And you know what else has done a lot of growing? My blog! It’s changed so much over the past year, my writing style changed, the theme, the content, the stories… it’s changed and I couldn’t be more proud and happy. Thank you to everyone who reads my blog on a daily basis, and even if you don’t, thanks for reading still! It means a lot that you want to read something that I write, whether it’s my personal experiences or a story of mine. Even though sometimes I went through patches throughout the year where I wouldn’t post on my blog because of school, I still managed to keep up with it and do what I love. I remember starting my blog two years ago quite vividly actually. I wanted to participate in a writing challenge/contest, and I was super excited to write personal stories on something public. Each time I clicked that ‘Publish’ button after writing a post, I felt happy and proud of myself.

I am very excited about next year. Grade 8! It’s going to be a crazy year, but I just hope that we can go to school in-person again. Although online and quarantine is still quite enjoyable for me, I think I prefer going to school rather than doing it on a screen for 5 hours. And what comes after grade 8? High school! I’m very nervous/excited about high school. I know I shouldn’t be thinking about it too much, because it is still a while away. But look, I remember grade 6, which was 2 years ago. Plus, the school says I have to pick my high school by the end of this year, which is a little hard for my family, because we don’t know if we’re going to be moving or not. We might move someplace closer to my dad’s work, because my mom wants to work there too. But I won’t get into that.

Nonetheless, grade 7 and 8 should be two really great years that I will remember for the rest of my life. 

Thank you to everyone who made this year amazing. My teachers, my parents, my friends, neighbours, and even pets. I won’t forget my grade 7 year, that’s for sure!

And even if I’m sad it’s over, I’m glad I have the memories too. We shouldn’t be sad that something good is over, just be glad it happened. That way, we’re practicing gratitude and looking forward to more amazing, happy, little things. 

And so that brings me to the end of this post… and this year! I cannot express how excited I am for grade 8, for this summer. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in my next post!

 

– Julia