It's Always Something

This past week I’ve had quite a few complete breakdowns wherein I’ve cried my eyeballs dry. Although there is an ungodly amount of stress at this time of year, it wasn’t due to my overwhelming school load. It was due to the fact that there are only two weeks left of school, and I’m not ready for it to be over. Although we’re all sick and tired of papers and studying for finals, I’m sure there are a few of you who can relate to my sadness.

After returning to campus this semester and reuniting with my friends, I started meeting new people everywhere. I made so many new friends during J-Term that I would bet I made more friends in that one month than I have in the past two years! Two such people that I met are seniors Brett Wilson and Mikey Stephenson. These two boys are two of the most genuine, caring, and crazy fun people I have ever met.

Brett never fails to laugh at anything I ever say. He’s the best audience I’ve ever had. Anytime he sees me he says hello, whether we’re in the servery, or half way across campus from each other, he makes the effort to say hello. And Mikey is one of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met. If you have something to say he listens. No matter what I do for Mikey, something big or something small, he never fails to say thank you and let me know how much he appreciates me.

These boys are the kind of boys that you meet and you hope to god that you know them forever. Herein lays the reason I’ve been bawling my eyes out like a four year old that’s been told she can’t have her baby blanket anymore. I’ve been terrified that I may never see Mikey or Brett once they graduate.

I’m afraid they’re going to be big grown-ups with fancy jobs, and fancy cars, and wear ties every day. I’m afraid they’ll forget about the times we played bags together, or the time the girls and I got them Champagne for sweeping Loras, or even the infamous “Jersey Shore” party. I’m afraid that I’m going to lose these two boys that I just got to know and absolutely adore.

However, today I had somewhat of an epiphany. How selfish of me to want them to linger over their love and adoration of me once they’ve graduated and moved on. How conceited of me to wish that they think about me and the fun we had this semester 24/7. Today I realized that this is not how I should feel at all.

Mikey and Brett, and everybody else that is graduating in two weeks, are going through one of the biggest changes of their lives so far. Instead of wishing that they think of me when they leave here, I hope they forget me, for a bit. I hope they take charge of their new lives and absolutely rock the real world. I hope that all of you find what it is that makes you happy (besides me) and pursue it with your whole heart. I hope this because as a junior I can only imagine what it will be like when I leave here, and I would hope I could depend on the support of my friends.

So, to everyone graduating this year: “May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, May the rains fall soft upon your fields, And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.” And to Mikey and Brett: Thank you for being my friend. Please know I will always be yours.