When I was in high school, I was a Sunday/Wednesday church kind of girl. I attended every service I could, and participated in everything I was allowed to. I had a youth pastor who was very special to me, and he knew it. He was hilarious, and when I say hilarious I mean you needed tissues when he spoke for the tears from laughing so hard! He taught me to love everyone, he taught me that hugs were not just a gesture, but a gift.

He taught me that loving a boy does not mean to stop loving the Lord even more, and most importantly if/when that boy decides to leave, that I will always have a man above me with open arms. He gave me a shoulder to cry on, welcomed me into his home, believed in me and trusted me, he promised to always be here for me no matter what. In fact, one day in my freshman year of high school on the way back from a mission trip we spent in New Orleans on our spring break, he promised me he would never leave our youth group.

About three years later he announced to our church that he would be leaving, and moving to a new church where he would take on the role as their new youth leader. I was devastated, so much that I left, and stopped coming to church at all. I got so angry at the fact that he had broken a promise, and not once did I sit and really think about what was going on.

He was not leaving to break our hearts, he was leaving because his job here was done, and God was ready to bring him to his next challenge. He touched so many of our lives and hearts while he was here, and it was up to me, and the rest of our community to send him off with hopeful hearts, because everything happens for a reason, and this is where he was meant to be.

I have grown up as a fan, lover, supporter and fighter of Coach Mark Richt. These past few days have been very bittersweet as we have learned the fate of his reign as head coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. This is coming from a college junior who does not watch enough football, has grown up loving on people, and will always claim the Dawgs as her number 1 no matter what, but I wanted to share how I am coping with the end of such an inspirational 15 years.

Mark Richt is known for the love and gratitude he gives his players, he has spent his time in Athens as an inspiration to so many people from children to adults, his warm welcome was always around. He has given up so much to give back, and make sure that football and family were his number one priorities. When I was in high school, coaches would always come to our school to recruit, and when word got around that they were visiting, people got exceptionally excited.

My best friend and I heard Coach Richt was in the building, so we begged our teacher to let us go and find him, he told us we could not come back to class without a picture or an autograph...and so of course, we found him! He talked to us about how our school seemed like a huge family, much like his team, and that he was happy to be here...he also took pictures with us, no big deal.

While it is hard to watch him go, and it is definitely not what we would have wanted, Coach Richt is exactly where he is supposed to be. He set out on this journey doing what he was born and wonderfully made to do, coach football. While he has had his ups and downs, the legacy he is leaving at the University of Georgia, is probably more than he could have ever asked for.

Like my youth pastor, God is calling him to be where he belongs, and being angry about that will not change anything, he deserves our up-most support.

I live by the quote, "Everything happens for a reason", and this is a prime example of the truth in that! Coach Richt, as hard as it is to believe, will move on to bigger and better things, and being happy for him is the best thing we could ever do right now.

He deserves our love, and will be remembered for his own in not only the game, but everything he did. Thank you for a life changing 15 years Coach Richt, you may not be coaching anymore, but like myself, you will always be a Dawg.