There is just nothing quite like good friends from college. Newer friends (that have come into my life since college graduation) are wonderful, golden blessings from God, they are awesome to get to know, they challenge me, and they are encouraging in all kinds of ways…
But what I am talking about is the commeradery that comes from spending several years in all-too-close quarters with girlfriends in college. I am inspired to write about this topic because a college girlfriend of mine got married a week ago, and as a result, another college girlfriend of mine and her husband came into town and stayed with Rich and I. And as we spent the weekend together (catching up on current events, reminiscing about past stories, and generally feeling quite nostalgic), I began to feel a distinct need to document my thoughts.
There will never again be a season of life comparable to college life. Never another time to study around the clock, pull all-nighters, and hit the snooze button 50 times. Or learn how to sleep with the lights on, music playing, and commotion down the hallway. There will never again be a time to take freshman year Spring Break with 4 fun-loving girls and hit the beach…and burn to a crisp after living through wintertime atop chilly, foggy Lookout Mountain. Or to take subsequent school breaks to visit friends’ homes and families all over the country. Never again a time to grumble about how much work was required while simultanously appreciating the professors, the in-class debate, discussion, and learning. I will never again wake up at 3 a.m. to execute a meticulously-planned prank upon the boys dorms. Nor will I ever eat so much cereal and fruit because the school menu became so redundant. I will never again perform “work study” in order to help pay for schooling (no more kitchen duty, carpet treatment, or janitorial work). I will never again sit in a mandatory chapel service or get in trouble for skipping too many (to study…okay, it was to sleep). I will never again play collegiate volleyball and enjoy road trips to gyms all over the southeast. Or live in such a transient way that I am moving all of my personal belongings from Florida to Tennessee and then back again every 4 months for 4 years.
Indeed, college days are over, yet new blessings abound. I have been given an amazing husband who blows me away with his love and wisdom, in-laws who are wonderful, godly people, a church body in which I love to invest, and as always, I have a family that, in my biased opinion, is the best one to ever live. I am embracing these post-college years with a new vigor, and a desire to learn the lessons that I need to learn, love the people that are placed in my life to love, and enjoy the years that God chooses to bless me with.
God has given me many memories that I will carry with me though the years, and several friendships that will stand the test of time.
This blog is dedicated to Cami, Heidi, Briana, Stacie, Wendi, and Kathy.
My dear sister,
How I love to hear your thoughts, as I donnot often enough. It’s funny that I chose to leave college to get married and now I look back only to realize that two more years would have been nice (and probably helpful) ; however, there was no explaining that to me at the time. I would not change it for the world though…my being married and all!
I have never heard of Blog, Blogging or the blogosphere. To be honest, I thought that you had misspelled something. I was half expecting to be sent to “this page cannot be displayed” when you emailed the website link.
I was happy to read all that you have written and as a result find, with much surpirse, just how alike we are in many ways. Though our differences are strong I am happy to admit that I take after my big sister. Big meaning older, not fat and ugly anymore!
I love and miss you terribly and although I know this is not email, I am fine with the world knowing how deeply I care for you.
Oh Heatherella!! Those were absolutely the ‘Good ‘Ol Days.’ I have to agree, there are times when I would love to go back. And then I remember the small dorms, smaller house, and absolutely disgusting hot dogs that we used to throw across the kitchen at each other. I’m still not sure how I justitified working in the kitchen…if I think about it too much, I can smell it all over again!