a day in the life...: A Moment In Time

Graduation.

For me that word holds many meanings: accomplishment, hard-work, investments, CELEBRATION, good-byes, tears, happiness, sadness...

The list could go on for quite some time, but I would rather not bore you right away. April 27, 2013 will be a day I will always remember. I had two goals that day: to walk across that stage without tripping OR crying.

That morning could have started off extremely bad. I must have forgotten to set my alarm because it never went off. I was to meet my family at 8am for breakfast in our Student Center, and I woke up at 7:15. This was a problem. You see, me being a girl, I cherish my time getting ready in the mornings. I'm what you call a dawdler. There was no time for dawdling that morning.

Jumping out of bed in sheer panic, I took the fastest shower of my entire life, ran blindly into a few doors, burned my ear curling my hair and stubbed some toes going back and forth between my bedroom and bathroom trying to get ready for this once in a lifetime day. While my housemates thought there was a circus going on, I simply proved to the whole world that it is possible for a woman to get fully ready in 45 minutes.

The Ladies of 510

Phew. I'm already exhausted remembering that morning. Needless to say, I left looking like a princess while my room looked like a tornado passed through it right before lightening struck and destroyed the evidence. My mother would have been appalled.

Despite the quite eventful 45 minute morning, I was determined to make the most of my special day. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I jumped everywhere I went. I needed a thousand pictures, and every one I saw I hugged like there was no tomorrow. I didn't want to let go. I wasn't ready to say good-bye. As I registered my name and received my placement number in line, I was talking a million miles an hour. I was so excited to take part in this day and to have my 3 seconds of fame with every eye on ME! (I'm not ashamed to admit that I like the attention).

My loving parents

My favorite brother

I walked through my favorite place on campus, McConn Coffee, for the last time as a student. That shop will always have a special place in my heart along with the people I met there. I needed to leave my fingerprint before I left, so I did the only thing I knew to do: I had one last product placement opportunity:

Prime advertising from the stage!

I felt like my emotions were lost in a country where they didn't know the native language. I was happy one minute, then bursting into tears the next. I was so confused and conflicted. The worst part was I couldn't help myself. Some of my favorite years of my life were about to end and the unknown future was staring me down like some scary monster in my closet. I wanted to drag out the happiness and safety I felt at IWU for as long as I could.

But I couldn't hold it off for very long. When the usher came to my row to usher us out of the auditorium to enter the backstage door, my imagination was running wild. I felt like that was the longest walk of my life, yet at the same time, the quickest. I got my picture taken in a snap and then before I knew it I was onstage and the next one to be called.

Getting ready to cross!

I can't express to you the extreme pride I felt as I walked across that stage toward President Smith to shake his hand and take my diploma. My whole body was shaking with excitement and wonder at how all of my hard work for years and years had finally paid off in this one single moment in time.

And just like that it was all over.

I walked back to my seat and twenty minutes later my class of 900 or so acted as one body as we flipped our tassels from the right to the left, signaling that our time as a student at Indiana Wesleyan University was officially over.

"Look, Ma! I did it!!"

Wow. Just like that. In one single moment in time, all of my goals and dreams, fears and aspirations were all over. I felt like I was in the middle of reading the most interesting tale of my life with mysteries and adventures still to come and someone just spat out the ending of the book out of nowhere. It was so sudden that I felt empty inside. The question, "Now what am I supposed to do?" kept running circles around my brain. I had no idea what was next. Everything I knew was school and it was now over.

Real life slapped me hard on the face. Can you now see the constant change in emotions I had that day? One minute excited, the very next terrified, then sad, then giddy and it would start all over again! Such a vicious cycle.

Now that I've had a month to reflect on the craziness I call my life, I am so excited and terrified at the same time for the next chapter in life. It's only natural to move forward. So onward I go, head held high, chin up and confidence in place. I am so thankful for my time at IWU, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. God brought me friends when I was in a dire need of them, He taught me things about myself that I never knew, and I was put in situations that broke my heart but ended up strengthening me.

I will be forever grateful for this wonderful establishment and the unashamedly Christ-centeredness of it. The memory of walking across that stage NOT tripping OR crying is permanently embeded in my brain until the day I die. I've heard the best years are yet to come, but these past four years will always be the ones that defined who I am as a student, Christian, business person and woman.

IWU, from the bottom of my heart, I say, "Thank you" for helping me be who I am today.