Just a year ago, if I had been asked what my philosophy of life was, I would have had absolutely no idea. But this year in eighth grade, I have progressed so much as a person, and my goals are now clear to me. I have gained such an enthusiastic, close-knit group of friends that every day I look at them and I am so thankful for the memories we make together. At the time, every big school project I do seems stressful and unnecessary, but later I know I will be glad for the souvenirs those projects leave behind. My principle for life now is to make memories that I will always remember.

I’ve only got one life, and I need to make the most of it. My childhood will be gone before I know it, and I’ll never get to go back. So I need to take opportunities as they present themselves to me. Even if I don’t really want to do something, I will still try my best to enjoy it, because maybe someday I’ll look back and be glad I did it. We often regret the chances we didn’t take in life, and I don’t want that to happen to me.

I already have many regrets, about things I did or didn’t do. I didn’t realize how important it was to make memories until I found my eighth grade group of friends. Together we laughed and cried, shared our feelings and complained together. When the four of us went on an orchestra field trip this year, we were able to take pictures throughout the day. And now, every time I see those pictures of me and my friends, I’ll be glad that I have something left of that day.

Through all the state capitals I’ve been to, my mom always made us take pictures of pretty much everything to put in her picture books. Before this year, it always annoyed me, and I hated having to stand still and smile so many times, in front of seemingly unnecessary signs and buildings. Now I understand why my mom spends so many hours putting together all those photos; she wants to remember all those trips, and part of it was so that we would remember, too. It’s important to document life events because later you’ll be glad you did.

This is why keeping a diary or journal is also a good practice; not only do they help you remember what your day-to-day life was like, discovering them again after years of disuse is like finding gold. About a month ago I was going through my room and found several different diaries I had kept from 2009 to the present. As I turned each page, I laughed at my crude handwriting and smiled at my terrible grammar and spelling. Journals are a reminder of how far you’ve come in life, from barely being able to write a diary entry to writing essays and papers all the time in school.

Now I am grateful for all the pictures taken and the journals written, because they are priceless reminders of who I used to be: they are memories that you can hold in your hands and keep forever. I regret the opportunities I’ve missed, but I’m glad for the chances I did take. In my life I will continue to make memories and live my life day by day in anticipation of the memories to come. I will keep writing journal entries, keep taking photos, to have something tangible for the future.

My philosophy in life now is to make the most of every moment, try new things, make memories. I don’t want to get caught up in all of life’s worries and problems, and I want to live my life while I’m still young. I only wish that my group of friends could last forever, but unfortunately that’s just how life goes. But that is why I mentally store every moment here in middle school, so that I don’t forget what it was like. Now I treasure every moment with my friends while I’m still with them, because I don’t want to take these moments for granted ever again.