To my Senior,

There’s only a few weeks left in the semester, only a few weeks left of being able to see you each and every day. These weeks are going to fly by. There will be parties, finals, Greek week, and about a dozen coffee dates in that time, but it’s not enough. I wish I could go back and not take for granted all of those tiny opportunities I had to spend time with you. Now it’s close to graduation and soon you won’t be so close. Sure, you’ll come to visit but you won't be here all the time. So with the little time we have left, I have to take a moment to thank you.

I need to thank you for not treating me like the “stupid freshman” when you first met me. There were several times I couldn’t find a building and you drew me a map on the back of my notebook. I remember drinking a little too much at a party and I felt horrible the next morning. You brushed me off and healed my embarrassment with a quick trip to IHOP. You advised me never to take that three hour night class because, let’s face it, you knew I’d fall asleep in it. When I sat up at night and cried to you about how badly I wanted to give up and go home, you held my hand and talked me down. In a year of change, confusion, and uncertainty, you took my hand and lead me through all my obstacles.

Thank you for the wisdom that you’ve shared. You’ve probably saved me hundreds of dollars by preventing me from buying textbooks until the teacher stated that we absolutely needed one. You’ve saved me a million stomach aches by preventing me from eating “Sushi Night” in our cafeteria. Without you, I probably would think everything was the end of the world. I would’ve thought that one quiz I failed in philosophy meant that I was doomed for the rest of the semester. I would’ve sworn I’d never find more friends after my freshmen year ones faded away. No matter what I feared, you were there to tell me some hilarious story about the mistakes that you had made in your earlier years and to repeat over and over those five words… “It’s going to be OK.”

Thank you for getting me out of my shell and making me love myself. In high school, I was so preoccupied with what people thought of me that I never stopped to think about what I thought of myself. I never did what I really wanted because I was too afraid of what others might think. You opened me up to joining a sorority and clubs, even though I insisted that I was too anti-social. When I make a mistake, you remind me over and over again that it does not define me. When I felt scared and lost you stood by me with undying support. You took someone who was shy, scared, and confused and made her feel at home again.

Finally, thank you for letting me watch you grow. I can’t count the number of times we sat up at night going over flash cards for your test that you swore you would fail. However, each time you would come to me three days later with an “A” and the biggest smile on your face. I watched you on your 21st birthday as you stumbled home from the bar telling me how much you love me. A year later I got to play you Taylor Swift’s “22” on repeat until you wanted to kill me. Over the winter break I waited until 5 o’clock each weekday to hear about how your internship went and how much you hated the long commute. You may be older than me but you have no idea how proud I am of you. The best gift that you could ever have given me is your friendship and the pleasure of seeing you become an adult.

So, this is the end of college for you and the end of an era for me. This, however, is not the end of us. Friendships like this are irreplaceable and unforgettable. When you’re at your job in the adult world, I’ll still call you on your next birthday to sing you the Blink 182 line, “nobody likes you when you’re 23.” I’m still going to make that long drive to see you as often as I can and I promise to bring your favorite donuts along with me. I promise that I will pass on your advice to my underclassmen friends that I will make. I promise I won’t let them take an 8am class, because I really should have listened when you told me not to. So go out there and show the world the person that I know; the smart, funny, wise leader that you are. I know that you will do great things in life and I could not be prouder.

Thank you and congratulations,