As Olaf once said, “Oh, look at that. I’ve been impaled.” He was enjoying a stroll with his friends in the snow, and out of nowhere he was struck by something unexpectedly. In a way, we’ve all been impaled. We’ve been hit with something so unpredictable and have had to make adjustments to our lives.

As itty bitty freshmen, high school was our upgrade. We got to move out of the pre-renovation middle school, one-story with thin dividers as walls, into mighty Ledyard High School, a two-story mansion with actual walls for each classroom. At that moment, we thought we were the luckiest kids alive.

As that privilege passed, we finally settled into understanding the struggles of high school. To many of us as little freshmen the school was a maze, even though it is literally a two-story square. But from this, we got to learn and find where our favorite teachers are with ease. We noticed the many confusing hallways and actual ginormous buildings of surrounding high schools, and realized how happy we are to be in our little square.

As that privilege passed, we settled into understanding what everyone meant when they mentioned the horrors of junior year. We struggled with SATs, ACTs, and having the stress on our shoulders of coming up with a plan for life. But with junior year also came a new found understanding of what hard work and determination can bring you. With junior year we finally became the champions of spirit week, and were upperclassmen for the first time in our lives.

As that privilege passed, we learned the meaning of “senioritis,” with many of us longing for the end of the school. We struggled with waking up every morning to go to high school when we were all focused and looking forward to our next step in life. But with the tragedy that is senioritis, came the days when we had senior lounge and we could sleep in as much as possible and have time for a Dunkin’ run on our way to school. It also brought us the indescribable feeling of finally being at the top of the food chain.

Over the years, it has been easy to forget how lucky we are to simply be together as a class. We have brushed aside what we thought were minor things worthy of no celebration. These past few months have been a change for all of us. Even though we have missed a few stereotypical milestones, we have learned to find joy in new things. Baking with family, watching the sunset, and going on walks in the neighborhood were all simple activities that we now look forward to. The simple things in life have now become the biggest parts of our lives. It has been easy to forget how important family is, how important health is, and how lucky we are to be at a high school and get an education. We now are able to recognize the importance of what we used to consider little things, and this privilege will never pass.

(Olivia Crawford is a Ledyard Scholar.)