Little Traditions

I just attended my last home football game of my high school career. I stood in what is fondly known as the trench, wore camo pants, and froze my butt off! I stood in between two of my best friends, we clapped, yelled, cheered, and danced like nobody was watching to the band music and cheerleaders. During the 3rd quarter, when the rain was pouring down, and some wind picked up, my hands and feet were numb. I wanted to go inside and become warm and dry. And this is not the first time I have felt this urge at a football game. I've had that cold prolonged bored feeling numerous times over 4 years. But this time a bigger part of me wanted to stay standing shoulder to shoulder with my friends in the cold watching our team lose. We have waited 4 years to stand in that very spot. It is a tradition for seniors to stand in the front row, wearing ridiculous school spirit outfits, to lead the student section in cheers, and stand there the entire game, no matter what! Such traditions are sacred in high school, tonight it was really bitter sweet. We have a LOT of high school traditions in general! Seniors wear togas during spirit week, and senior curtesy at assemblies! And each group has their own traditions too! Like after every football game my friends and I go get blizzards and french fries at Dairy Queen! It is a must! We sit there until late at night just talking and enjoying each others company. A lot of these traditions we work our way up to, we earn the right to do. But now that some of these traditions are being fulfilled, its rather bitter sweet. And now cherished traditions like football game trenches are in  our PAST. It feels so surreal. I know I still have lots of traditions to look forward to through out the year and beyond, thats super exciting. It keeps me optimistic. But its when the little traditions like standing in the trenches surrounded by friends, eating warm french fries afterwards, start to end, thats when most of us value the experiences, and taste that bitter sweetness. I definitely felt that tonight. And I'm going to strive to notice more of the little traditions when they are happening, the ones that will be what bring a smile to my face later on in life. I think we all should.