Dear Graduating Senior,
The time has come for you to walk across the graduation stage, accept your college degree and begin your life. Whether you are planning to go graduate school or are on the job hunt, it's time to accept some more grown-up responsibilities, and open a new chapter in your life. If the past few years of friendship have taught me anything, it’s that you have been primed for success no matter which path you choose. Our school may not be perfect, but it has allowed you to expand your intellectual knowledge, as well as your ability to thrive outside the classroom. I am confident that your life will be everything you ever dreamt it to be – and more.
While words could not express how proud I am of you, I find myself typing this letter with tears in my eyes. Your friendship is irreplaceable to me, and the thought of saying goodbye to you makes my stomach turn. Yes, I know that you’re just graduating--not dying--but the thought of coming back to school next fall without you just does not seem real. You’ve been there for me through my college journey—watched as I began the process of growing into the person I aim to be—and though I will never lose touch in the future, I know that our relationship is in for a big change. No more late-night gossip sessions after a night out, no more karaoke pre-games, no more all-nighters spent rewriting a 15-page paper the night before its due.
That being said, I may be nervous, but I’m kind of excited to see where our friendship takes us in the future. Next year is going to be extremely difficult without you here on campus, but that also means that I can come visit you wherever you end up, just to see a small window of where your life is and how it continues to grow outside the comfort of college securities. Think about all the stories we can share with one another now that our lives have begun to diverge in different directions.
Now, I would like to take a second to thank you for these past few years together. Thank you for listening to me complain about how hard my classes were or about the boy who refuses to text me back. Thank you for providing me with a couch to sleep on when my roommates were getting on my last nerve. Thank you for buying me things when I was not old enough to buy them for myself. Thank you for being the kind of person that I could always depend on -- no matter what.
Most importantly, I want to thank you for leading by example. When I say that I’ve watched you grow into a mature and intelligent person over the years, also know that I’ve taken some notes. You have been my role model, and I aspire to achieve a sliver of your success. I am so lucky to have you to learn from as you enter the big bad world after graduation. I know that seeing you succeed will give me the confidence to do so myself when my time comes. And I know you’ll be there with advice and a helpful hand when that happens.
Well – you’re graduating, and it’s officially time to say goodbye. I’m already looking forward to seeing just how our lives end up playing out. Just know that wherever you end up, I’ll be there one Saturday night in December with a bottle of wine, ready to dish out a semester's-worth of stories.
Love always,
Your non-graduating friend
