Today, I get to introduce you to a girl who has been (by far) one of my longest friends.  So long, in fact, that she’s known me since I was about two-and-a-half years old.  More than anyone else in my life, this girl has seen me grow and change, and she’s stuck by me all the way.  This girl is my sister, Sadie.

2010 has been a big year for my sister.  She finished out her senior year of high school, which included applying to quite a few colleges and ultimately selecting one (Westminster).  She graduated high school about two weeks ago, and in a few weeks will start playing soccer with the Westminster girls soccer team.  And then, in just a few short months, she’ll move into the dorms and start her first year of college.  So, to say that 2010 has been and will continue to be a big year for my sister may be a bit of an understatement.

But before all of the college stuff started to unfold, we had to stop and take time to celebrate the fact that she graduated high school.  (That’s not to say it was a surprise to us, although I feel that for many parents it is, in fact, a surprise and a relief.)  So, to celebrate, my sister and our parents decided to co-host a graduation party with three of my sister’s closest friends – Chelsea Reimer, and Tess & Emma Burrick (yes, they’re twins).

The party took place in the upstairs room of Squatter’s Pub & Brewery, in downtown Salt Lake City.  Now, let me stop here and just dwell on the fact that the party was at Squatter’s.  This meant two things.  First, the food was phenomenal.  And second, the beer and alcohol was quite delectable as well.

As the party unfolded, the room slowly began to fill with more and more people.  What started out as a room with maybe 20 people in it quickly became a room packed with at least 100.  Now, I’d be lying if I didn’t say this shoot was at least a little difficult for me.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of high school – way too much drama for me to handle – and this was, literally, like packing high school into a space that was no more than 1,500 square feet.  But, the party was still great (the food made up for it).

I think one of the most meaningful moments for me as the party unfolded was the moment my sister’s art teacher showed up.  To understand why this moment was as moving for me as it was, you have to understand a bit of my sister’s history with high school.

She and I went to the same high school – Judge Memorial High School, in the downtown suburbia of Salt Lake City.  This school, being a private school, literally stripped you of your rights the minute you walked in the door.  My sister called it a “prison”, and literally, it was.  But through her struggles with high school, she was able to develop a close relationship with this particular art teacher, who would allow her to vent her frustrations, and shared in many of them himself.

The reason this had such an impact on me is that it led me down a somewhat nostalgic path, on which I found myself looking back at all the teachers and mentors who had influenced me over the years – people who had encouraged me to be better than I thought I could be, who have become lifelong friends.  At any rate, the special relationship that develops between student and teacher, between mentee and mentor, is one that goes deep, and one that lasts a lifetime.

Well, now my sister’s graduated.  She’s done with high school, together with all its drama, and is moving onto newer and better things.  As I mentioned earlier, she’s planning on attending Westminster in the fall, and has been accepted onto the school’s soccer team as a midfielder.  All I can really say at this point is that I am incredibly proud of her, and I can’t wait to see how she develops and changes over the next four years as she decides what she wants to do with her life.