The End.
The undergraduate/college chapter in my life is over. No more papers, no more mandatory reading, no more projects, no more journal articles, no more clinical practicum... until August 21 when my classes begin at the University of Texas at Dallas. Finishing college is so refreshing. (sigh) Ahh!
However, this graduation reminds me of a batch of cookies Keith's friends brought over. They looked so delicious with pink icing and sprinkles- mmm sugar cookies! After we took a bite, our faces surely showed our disgust- I think the precious girls baked these cookies with more salt than sugar! It was definitely an unpleasant surprise.
One "minor" detail I failed to consider while celebrating my last few weeks of classes was the fact that my friends are all flying away to have their own adventures. My great community of friends is splitting apart, and the likelihood that we will reunite seems too slight to nurture a mere hope. My dear, good friends will remain a part of my life (that's the plan), but, our relationships will be maintained through phone calls and facebook- we won't live in a two mile radius of one another and be able to walk to the other's house for dinner or tea. Weird. And the relationships with people that I care for and run into on campus, but don't deeply know, will probably be completely dropped.
One of the main reasons I chose to attend ACU was to build a community of friends that will endure throughout my life. I knew from the beginning of my Freshman year that my friends' paths and mine would part, but this parting kind of snuck up on me. I was consumed by the "sweet" anticipation of graduation and neglected the "bitter" reality. And now, although I'm thrilled to be an ACU alumnus, the bitter part of graduation has left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
4 comments:
Bittersweet is a good definition of this period of time. You will be able to keep up with your friends, it will just be in a different way-strange and lonely at first... but, when you do get together, it is so wonderful. I'm still in contact with my roommate, continually, throughout each year! I see the others sporadically at this point in time in my life, which is 30 years after graduation, but seeing them is so great. ACU has a way of keeping the connection alive...or maybe I should say, God has a way of keeping the Christian connection alive. Your life will be a constant stream of changes, which is hard at times, but is what keeps our lives such a sense of adventure. Remember, (and scrapbooking is such a good way to do that!) and enjoy the present adventure as well. Love Always, Aunt Karen
Hey Karen,
I'm proud of you for making it, and for keeping your sweet spirit about you through it all. It does hurt to let things go, especially after you've invested so much time and love. But that pain is life's oddest and truest tribute to just how worth it it all was. We love you and are proud of you,
Mark & Ali
You will gain confidence with your venture to Dallas, I just know it! But it leaves me with bittersweet feelings to see you go, too. I will miss you dearly, darling girl!!! (I mean woman.)
Caryn, You make life a joy wherever you are. Your time in Dallas will also be a good experience.-- My advice is to stay in touch with your special people. Some day you may have children at ACU together. I love you and I am so proud of your accomplishments.
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