First of all, I am shocked that I am now considered an older member in my chapter. It feels like yesterday I was opening my bid and running home to my new family. Now I have gone through multiple homecomings and events and everything is completely different. I don't have this sense of newness and excitement, I found my home away from a few years ago and I honestly feel so old. Getting new members is still an amazing experience that will never get old but the whole dynamic of being a member has changed for me.
I just found myself looking around at who was helping at pomping and who was showing up to homecoming events and I was shocked. All of the girls that I entered this sisterhood were few and far between. It was a strange feeling to know that everyone from my pledge class is growing up and is hard for them to find time to show up to FSL events. Someone tell me when this happened, how did we get to the point where we had more of a say and were respected by younger members we have never met before?
So, to the younger members, enjoy every moment that you are experiencing right now. Yes, college tends to be a little bit harder than high school but you have much more time on your hands when you first arrive compared to when you start getting into your major classes. Come to every event possible because trust me, there will be a time when you wish you could just make it to that one event that you always love going to. Being super involved is never a bad thing. So go to pomping just because your best friend isn't going to be there. You get to know so many more sisters and realize that the women in your chapter are pretty amazing.
Have pride in the chapter you've grown so fond of. There are only four years of college that you can be active on campus. Only four homecomings. Only four Greek Weeks. Yes, these weeks are probably the most stressful weeks that you will ever have to go through but the memories that you gain are priceless. I've ruined so many clothes because I got a little too much wood glue on them from pomping. I've literally painted my hand and not the banner because I have been so tired during Greek Week but I had my sisters there to laugh it off with me.
I love my chapter and all the girls in it. There is nothing quite like winning an event and that feeling of pride everyone has in our chapter. I couldn't pay anyone enough money to get these kinds of experiences. I wish it wasn't true that this journey is coming to it's closing stages, but it is. All I can pray for right now is that the saying "it's not four years, it's for life" really holds true. I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet, or ever.
