Dana (a Sayre Senior) and Meera. Dana gave Meera the tiara; Meera gave Dana the daffodils
We have made so many good friends all over campus this year. But for sure our Sayre friends are the most special. We simply see them the most, and spend the most time together. We live together. We have a real community going on here. There are certain students we see just about every day, and others we see from time-to-time, and some of those we (especially K, O, and M) have really tight connections with. In moving to campus it truly never occurred to me to think too much about how it was going to be for us to get really close with certain students, and then watch as they move out and/or graduate. It is something I’m now thinking a lot about as we quickly approach the end of the school year and commencement.
To be honest, I’m worried about this.
I know the bambinos are tough, and they’ll be ok. But I also know their hearts will hurt and there will be a lot of emotions wrapped up with the move-out of our neighbors as the semester closes. I’m sure, too, that commencement will take on a whole new meaning this year. These past few beautiful spring days I find myself watching my kids (my children and my students/neighbors) playing together outside at Sayre and I can’t help but think of what is soon to come. This time of year, on a college campus, is not just a time of wrapping things up and final exams, but it is a time of goodbyes too.
When the relationships are real the feelings are real. I know that I will struggle a bit in the days to come, as I watch the Sayre students move out (and the seniors graduate). I know that the bambinos will need to find ways to get their minds and hearts around that too. And I also know that some of these students will feel it in very real ways. It is what we signed up for. But still. That doesn’t make it easy.
It is tough. We lived on a military base for 14 years (he was in before we got married) so my kids both said goodbye to friends constantly or we were the ones saying goodbye and leaving. They quickly learned to enjoy the friendships but know they weren’t permanent.
Heather,
Remember what it was like summer after summer at camp. We all became family, and shared to much, and then….it was time to move on. Make new friends and keep the old!
xo
Cheryl
One is silver and the other gold.
…except, as it turns out, they are all gold.
Thanks for reading Cheryl! And yes, the parallels to camp are huge.
hbj
I totally get this. As a young child I formed close bonds with peers and teenagers/and teachers and being part of an expat community it was really heartbreaking to see so many people leave. It’s tough. But it is a valuable lesson of growing up, as I’m sure you also know.
All the best to you, Braydon, Kyle, Owen and Meera as you navigate this aspect of living on campus.
– Kate