Hello future children, your mother (me) has finally decided to show you her last article in the Xavier Xpress. With this, I will be giving you things I’ve learned these past four years.

1. The thing that made you cry last night or the test you forgot to study for will not matter in five years, so please don’t worry.

2. You will learn more about a person by their favorite album or movie than you will from five months of small talk.

3. The world is such a big and beautiful place. You can learn so much from the people and places surrounding you.

4. You will have your heart broken, you will feel like you can’t get out of bed, and you will feel like you have to keep quiet. Take these things as lessons and never go back to them.

5. I know you’ll never meet your grandmother, but she loves you. A lot.

6. Movies, music, art, nature and literature can make your heart burst; please let it.

7. It’s okay to reach out for help. You can’t do everything alone.

8. You might not always be the smartest or most beautiful, but you can always be the kindest in the room.

9. Holding grudges truly weighs you down. Forgive and forget.

10. Make the most of your years in high school. You only get one chance to make the most of them.

Thank you to everyone who has supported my articles and me the last four years at Xavier. I’ve laughed, cried, and, most importantly, loved with the people surrounding me. I couldn’t be more grateful. God, please don’t let me be normal. Next destination: Coolsville. Population: Clara.

As a parting gift, here are my top favorite movies of all time. No order. 🙂 1: My Own Private Idaho 2: Mean Creek 3: The Chorus 4: Battle Royale 5: Oldboy 6: American Beauty 7: A Clockwork Orange 8: Thirteen 9: Mysterious Skin 10: Across the Universe.

Clara Petri

A&E Writer