Thanks for the Memories

If you walk around a college campus at the end of finals week you may hear a collective sigh of relief. If not that, you may hear a pin drop because everyone is taking a nap to recover from the lack of sleep they received the previous week. The week of finals leaves many students drained of energy, however the glimpse of summer seems to revitalize many. The thought of warmer days, no homework, late nights full of fun instead of homework and more seems to bring college students back to life after the week is done.

However, for senior college students the end of finals week means an entirely new beginning. The start to my summer was an end to so much of my time at ONU. As a junior at Ohio Northern University, I had a lot of my friends graduating. I was so excited for my friends as they all had big things in store. Some of them were going to graduate school to become a doctor, physician assistant or ambassador. Others were going on rotations to become a pharmacist. The rest of my friends were starting their first official job out of school. This next chapter brought so many new experiences, places and opportunities for them. Although I was excited to see all of the things my friends would accomplish, graduation brought up many different of emotions.

Overall, I was so proud and honored to have such amazing friends. They all are passionately discovering what God has created them to do. All while I was feeling this way, I was sad to see them leave. Selfishly, I wanted to spend more time with them and for them to be a part of my senior year. I found myself bothered by the idea that I wasn’t sure who I would hang out with the following school year.

Ohio Northern has always done a great job planning and executing commencement weekend. By making the graduates feel special and including their families and friends in the festivities, it provides a bittersweet ending to a great chapter. It also provides hope and excitement for the chapter that lies ahead. I was so proud to attend and cheer on some of my closest friends. It helped me to be thankful for the time we got to spend together and look to the future of when we will get to see each other again soon.

Difficult goodbyes only mean that the relationship you had was strong and meaningful. I am so blessed to have had so many friends in my life that impacted who I am as a person, made my life full of happiness and created a part of my life that I wasn’t ready to move on from. I hope and pray that each of you reading this experience that kind of community at some point in your life because I do believe we were not meant to do this life alone.