The "La La Land" soundtrack blasts into my eardrums as I sit at a table outside, fingers typing fervently, head bobbing along to the catchy beats of the jazz that trickles through my earbuds. My typing fingers pause in the middle of a sentence, my left hand groping around for my coffee. I take a long, lasting sip, and I look up at the friend sitting across from me.
Kelly's face is one of concentration as she rattles away on her own keyboard, mind wrapped up in whatever email she is crafting. My mind begins to wander as I watch her, and I find myself wanting to stay in this moment forever. It's one of my final days on my college campus, I'm sitting in the company of one of my best friends, coffee in hand, and the weather is beautiful - not a cloud in the sky. "Hey." She looks up from her keyboard, fingers hanging in mid-air. "Did you know that I love you?" The smile that spreads across her face is the perfect addition to this little memory.
The past week or two have been spent trying to wrap up loose ends: seeing friends I'll miss dearly when I move, packing my room into an endless stream of boxes, studying for finals and thanking professors and mentors. Amongst the chaos of graduation prep, I seem to have forgotten my love of little memories. Like many other graduates, I've been running myself in circles trying to create lasting memories with my loved ones during these last few weeks together. And yes, that's important - it's our last hurrah together. We want to go out with a bang. But, there's magic in the little memories, too, and we can't forget that.
And so, I choose to bookmark this moment in my mind. When I think back to the weeks leading up to my graduation, I'll think of little moments of serenity like this one - silently sitting across from Kelly as the wind brushes through our hair, watching her smile when I tell her what she means to me.
I'll think of slow mornings at home, pouring steaming hot coffee into a mug and taking it outside to watch Old Man run around in the sun. I'll think of last night, when Elizabeth and I sat and ate our dinners together, talking about everything and nothing.
It can feel like time is moving so quickly amongst the rush, the stress, and the craziness at the end of the semester. And yet, I find myself sitting here, at my table, coffee in hand, staring at Kelly's smiling face, and all I feel is peace. These little memories are my saving grace this week. Let them be yours, too. Remember to make little, lasting memories with your loved ones, graduates. Sometimes the little memories can mean the most.
