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May 16, 2010

Graduates

It’s late and I need to get to bed, but I wanted to make sure to admit my complete miscalculation of the events of the weekend. I was worried it would be awkward. I was afraid I wouldn’t even be recognized or remembered. I was scared I would be as separate from them as I feared I was.

It wasn’t like that at all.

Instead, everyone I saw welcomed me with bear hugs and said how glad they were that I was there. They told me that I would always be a part of their class, even if I didn’t walk across the stage with them. They groaned in understanding of my psych rotation and delivered encouragement for my upcoming exams to come and were, as a group, so completely wonderful and so genuinely, purely happy that it was impossible not be overjoyed with them.

My best friend in the class put together a slide show of pictures that people sent in of the four years as a class. I was shocked to see myself in many of them. When I said as much, she said, “There are some people who help form the spirit of the class and you can’t put together a photo compilation representing this class without including them. You are one of those people.”

And I couldn’t tell her how much that meant to me, how deeply moved I was by the whole day, or how glad I was to be there to celebrate this day with them. I couldn’t tell her because I seemed to get something in my eye just at that moment.

I spent the day basking in the glow of the recent graduates, drinking bourbon with the best of people, and came home feeling so loved and proud and inspired and happy.

My people, the Class of 2010.

2 Readers rock!:

A said...

You were undoubtedly part of the heart of our class. You can't think of the class as a whole without you in it! You may not have walked across that state in a cap and gown, but, in a small way, graduated with us.

Your presence meant more than you know.

And don't worry, I get stuff in my eye ALL the time. ;)

Rachel G said...

I second A - you are an honorary class member always Katie. I missed seeing you at graduation but am so glad that you were there! I'm excited that I'll get to see you at ACOG stuff for the rest of our careers. Take care Katie, and I will continue to blog stalk.