Everyone is looking for that special someone to spend their life with; they’re looking to find the happiness that they had seen in books or in movies, but maybe that happiness doesn’t mean receiving flowers and kisses from a boy. Yes, I love my boyfriend just as much as any girlfriend should, maybe even a little bit more, but it’s my friends who keep me going.
They say that soulmates meet by fate, that they meet because it was just meant to be... that's the way I feel about us. Little did I know that the crazy girl running after me in excitement because she heard me say "I'm from a small town," would be one end up meaning so much to me. Or the girl who made fun of the freshmen who brought her own bed to the dorms, then walked in my dorm room and saw that bed and realized I was that freshman.
I'm so thankful I sat next to a Sigma Delta Tau sister, and for her urging me to join a sorority because the sorority brought me to all of you; whether it was entering my first new member education class not knowing we all would become so close, meeting the scary older sister who turned out to be my my favorite person or realizing that a big and a little are truly the best blessing to have.
Coming to school was like a roller-coaster; the struggle of keeping up with college courses and maintaining a social life, while also trying to avoid the freshman 15 was not an easily balance.
Complaining about school, boys and going to the gym seemed to be never ending. I can remember sitting in my bed in my old dorm room crying over a stupid test, or a teacher who never seemed to give me the grade I was aiming for. The countless times we complained over stupid boys and whatever they seemed to be doing wrong; which mainly involved them not answering our text messages at 2 a.m.
The constant struggle of getting each other out of bed and attending class or going to the library, and don’t forget the small struggle of convincing “it’s OK, it’s only one class to skip, let’s go get some food and watch a movie.” Either way we were there for it all.
Some of the lessons took months to learn. Fighting the demons we had inside; was not an easy challenge, and if it was not for you girls I don’t think I would have gotten through mine while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I can’t count the times you were there for me, there are far too many. Whether it was showing up at my room to make sure everything was okay, or realizing it wasn’t and hugging me while I soaked your sweatshirt with my sobbing face.
There were the obvious lessons that we learned:
- It is not always acceptable to use a box kit to dye hair…especially from black to blonde. It will come out orange.
- Partying in the dorm rooms may seem like a good idea until you get caught and have to take a course in alcohol safety.
- Taking a phone out of a friends hand while she’s calling a boy for the 47th time that night is always a good idea… don’t let her look crazy.
- It is always important to befriend the bouncer, if he likes one... he likes all.
Through the years we all learned valuable lessons—hard lessons that took weeks to figure out, or those mistakes that took until the next morning at breakfast to figure out, which we usually laughed about.
I don't say this as often as I should...I am thankful for a lot in life, but what I am most thankful for is having friends as great as you all. Having a handful of girls I can call no matter if it's to grab lunch, borrow an outfit or talk about how crappy my day was is such a gift.
Looking back on the last few years, I can’t remember those girls’ names in the bathroom we tried to fight, or those teachers who gave me a C on a paper that took me endless hours to write, I can’t even remember what boys we were all upset about...
What I do remember is how we stood there by each others side through it all. Through every bad time, good time, sad time and crazy time—you ladies were by my side. No matter where life takes us when May arrives, I know that I have the greatest support system, the best pick-me-ups, the truest soulmates and I couldn't be more grateful.
