Last Friday, I had to stay at school longer than usual. Being Friday, hardly anyone could be seen strolling the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. It was a great departure from the typical hustle and bustle that comes with the end of the semester.
I am a rather sentimental person, and I always seem to become very thoughtful when something is about to end. For some reason, the chorus of one of my favorite songs came into my head at that moment. Graham Colton’s “Best Days” goes like this — “So don’t wait for someone to tell you it’s too late, ’cause these are the best days. There’s always somethin’ tomorrow, so I say let’s make the best of tonight. Here comes the rest of our lives.”
In that rather solitary moment with nobody around, I realized that some incredible things have happened in my life during this semester. I’ve gained some new good friends, among many other things. In that moment, I realized that in the craziness of life, I may have mistakenly missed out on some opportunities throughout the semester to say, “there’s always somethin’ tomorrow, so I say let’s make the best of tonight” with those that I have come to care about and with the experiences that I have had.
It caused me to remember the little times throughout the semester when a fellow classmate would make me laugh or when a teacher made me frustrated. Those little moments and memories, though insignificant at the time, are ones that I value now. When finals are over, I may never again hear from many who I’ve been able to rub shoulders with and that saddens me. I am of the school of thought that everything happens for a reason and there certainly is a reason that so much good has happened since Aug. 25.
Perhaps my thoughts turned to the song because I was also thinking much about a teacher who has greatly impacted my life this semester who has run into some health challenges. At this time, I don’t know the severity of these issues, but this instructor may not return to class by the end of this week. It made me remember once again the chance that there always is to have to say, “Don’t wait for someone to tell you it’s too late.” Though I’ll surely see this instructor on campus by next semester, there is something more meaningful to thank people in the moment instead of waiting for a time — something I may not get to do.
At the same time, as important as it is to say, “let’s make the best of tonight,” it is also important to recognize that “here comes the rest of our lives.” Just as I’ve met and associated with many new people this semester, the same will happen when school resumes on Jan.10. (Sorry to rub it in that you’ll be back here in just a few weeks). Since everything happens for a reason, I’m excited to meet new people and have new experiences that will continue to shape me into the person that I am to become.
As we have the opportunity to end this semester and savor the holiday season, may we each reflect on the good things, and maybe not so good things, that have happened to us in the last three and a half months, remembering that, “these are the best days.” At the same time, let’s also remember that good and important things are in store for each of us moving forward. In other words, “here comes the rest of our lives.”