Dear Seniors 2017

"What lies before us and what lies behind us

are small matters compared to what lies

within us."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

My dear Seniors of the Class of 2017, 

They say you never fall in love twice the same way. I guess they are right, whoever "they" may be. I never think I'll love the next class as much as I love the last and each year I'm proven wrong yet again. YOU have changed my life. You have shown me to fall in love with so many things all over again. You are amazing. You are a little bit of everything for me. 

Three years I've been blessed to know you beautiful people. Three long years and yet it seems not enough. Are you really graduating? Yes. Yes, you are. And you are headed to change the world for the best. So many of you are staying close by and yet others are traveling distances. I'm grateful and so blessed to know and trust that the world is a better place simply because you're in it. You will be doing great things with every step you take. I'm already so incredibly proud of you. 

You have changed my worldview in so many ways. Whether it was by surprising me with your hidden talents in chorus or on the stage or even on your teams. You've performed beyond expectation. You've danced faster, sung better and shown me that all I have to do is cut loose. You've encouraged me to attend more shows and concerts than I ever have. But you've also beat records like never before. I've never followed a team so far in champs or cheered louder on the sidelines as you run past me. When asked who my favorite players are, you're number one forever. I'm sure a few of you will be famous one day! 

You've taught me to love greater in so many ways. You're never failing dedication to service on nights when you're supposed to be doing so much homework astounds me. You have never ending energy to help those in need and give of yourself so selflessly. You laugh and love out loud and remind me that the finest things in life are the moments shared joyfully with one another. Just think about all the lives you have changed all over the city, the state and yes, even the country. Keep serving with your beautiful hearts.

You have taught me to laugh and to laugh loudly. Whether it's by showing me the latest funny video you found on the internet or telling me about your latest adventures, you have reminded me to take time out of the often too busy and too serious day to laugh. You've reminded me to stop stressing so much and to take a breath every now and then. Unless, of course, I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe. Thank you for showing me your authentic joys and laughter. You are some of the weirdest people I know, but you know, for me, that weird is more of a compliment. Keep being so true to yourself. That's the best part about you. 

You have taught me to love greatly. You have also prepared me for motherhood way too prematurely, but I know, I know...I'll thank you later. There is so much about you to love. Your unique personalities. Your many gifts and talents. Your funny stories. Your hearts. Your souls. And your hugs. I've never been showered with so many hugs until your class came around. You have taught me to love greatly because of your example. You love beyond measure, without hesitation and without judgement. You love despite flaws. You remind me how to open my heart each day and be vulnerable. Thank you. 

And finally, you have taught me to keep the faith. You are one of the most faith-filled classes I have met. You have faith in each other - you are each other's biggest cheerleader. You have faith in yourself - you know you can do anything you put your mind and heart to. You have faith in God - you trust he will carry you through the deepest valleys. Watching you grow in this faith, especially on retreat, is one of my greatest blessings. So many of you were apprehensive about retreat and yet, when you came back home at the end, I could see the faith in you restored. You have reminded me to never stop giving up - on others, on God and on myself. 

You have changed my life for the best. I am a better person because I have known you. You have surrounded me with so much goodness. I'm not quite sure what I am going to do without the Breakfast Club, the Campus Ministry Groupies, my retreat leaders, my CSC girls, and the rest of you. You have been my greatest joys, my happiest memories, and my best times this year. Thank you for your smiles in the hallways, your dedication in the classroom, your affirmations and little note cards everywhere, your gifts, your plenteous visits to Campus Ministry (even if they are only for the snacks) and more. Thanks for sharing your greatest accomplishments with me and letting me rejoice with you as you make it even further in competition, get into your dream colleges, and make yet another landmark in your life. 

The Class of 2018 has big shoes to fill. I cannot wait to see where you take the world with all your adventures and successes. I will continue to cheer you on from the sidelines. Continue to be the amazing, beautiful, wonderful human beings that you are. You are so incredibly loved. And remember, "my love will find you wherever you go." Be Where Your Feet Are, kids. 

Love Always, 

Miss G 

The Art of Lingering

"This is a love story. I never knew there were so many kinds of love

and that love could make people do so many different things.

I never knew there were so many ways to say good-bye."

- Maggie Stiefvater, "Linger"

     Growing up, I was the queen of Girl Scout Sing-A-Longs around the campfire at camp or at any given night of meetings. Anything from the "Princess Pat" to the "Littlest Worm," I basically had every word memorized and if not, I always had friends nearby to help me out. We loved the fast-paced ones, the ones with dance moves and of course, the sillier the better. We really weren't big fans of the slower songs. Honestly, we would rather tell ghost stories of Cabin #4 or Mary of the Lake. Trust me, I was really good at scaring the Juniors. Remember that one time...nah, never mind. Girl Scouts was my favorite thing in the world, a place I could really be myself. I loved camping, I loved being outdoors, I loved learning all about nature. Girl Scouts most certainly gave me the skills and love for the outdoors I have today. But there is one thing Girl Scouts has reminded me of more and more now as I am older and the message lies in that one slow song we actually liked: Mhmmm....I Wanna Linger. 

       Lingering - it's a lost art. Honestly, most of us were probably told many times in our lives, "stop dawdling," "hurry up," "we're running late," and more. I know I was and now I'm so time paranoid that I will give myself more than ample time to get ready, get out the door and make it to my destination with much time to spare. I hate being late, and I constantly feel like I need to be somewhere or do something. Now, one might think that being this type of way, I would be severely annoyed by late people, but that does not really bother me. Truly, it's only when I am running late (and mind you its just later than my projected time and I'm probably still going to be early just not sixteen hours early) that I get flustered. But slowly, I've learned the art of slowing down and lingering a bit. 

     My work study boss in college was consistently lingering. She would stop on our errands to talk to every single person, in English or in Spanish. She would ask questions about their lives, ask how their families were, and more. It was as if she every single person on campus personally. Now a days, I strive for that in my own life. I purposefully walk out of my office at the change of classes so I can greet as many students as I can, and though it's hard, I try to do so by name.  But there's more to lingering than just this. 

     When I visited South America, they would tell us one time but it wouldn't be until moments later (sometimes upward of a half hour) that whatever we had been invited to would begin. People there took their time doing anything and everything. The first week there, it was rough - why weren't people moving, where were the buses, how come nothing was ever on time. But by weeks three and four, we strolled casually down the streets after school and took our time visiting with the students, the teachers and naturally, our new friends. We lingered a little longer day by day and loved a little differently, each day, too. 

     Now, after years of slowly but surely breaking my anxiety about lingering, I linger a little longer. I find myself "dawdling" a little more and more each day. Sometimes, I feel the rush of "I got to go right now" and then attempt to rush off to something that, yes, probably could have waited. But there are more moments of my lingering now than my rushing off to the next very small, minuscule, minute thing. I think back to all the times I rushed out of a conversation with someone who is no longer around and I wish I could have learned to linger a little bit sooner. But life has it's lessons and lingering is one of them. 

      On the road to Emmaus, two of Jesus' apostles were walking and conversing when Jesus appeared is their presence. Sound familiar? It was the Gospel yesterday, the Third Sunday of Easter. I think about what would have happened if the two disciples were rushing off somewhere. Would they have said to the Jesus they did not recognize, "Sorry, gotta go spread the news."? I'm not sure. But I do know that Jesus and the disciples lingered together for seven miles and then for supper as well, when Jesus broke the bread. Imagine if the two disciples drove through the supper just like we do at McDonald's, Chipotle or even Wawa. The disciples and Jesus have taught us so many times, the art of lingering. There are so many instances of lingering in Scripture, and yet, we, whoever we may be, Christian or non, do not linger. 

     I have learned to linger. I linger with my students in the hallway. I linger with them when they pop in and need a friendly, non-academic conversation. I linger with my friends when they need prayer. I linger with my family, I linger with my colleagues at lunch. I linger a lot more often now, because if the disciples hadn't lingered on the road to Emmaus, Jesus never would have been revealed to them. When I linger, I know Jesus will be revealed to me. Mhmm...I wanna linger.