A message to anyone who feels like they recently lost a friend...
I am soon to leave for college. I think it is during this point in one’s life that things really start to take shape in ways we never imagined they would. I want to express something I have been feeling and noticing the last couple weeks, seeing my friends leave and preparing to leave myself. WE ARE NOT GONE! There it is, that is what I want to say, I mean I know I can say that because I am 45 minutes away, but seriously what is the chance that we will never see Jeff again? Or Tori? Or Nick? Very slim… we think of these things as goodbye’s when really that isn’t what they are, they are simply steps that we are taking, I want everyone to know I have every intention of seeing every single one of you again, and I know that Marissa and Jeff and Tori and even Nick are probably thinking the same thing. Now I don’t blame people for feeling like these we are gone, we did after all have goodbye parties. But I really think “goodbye party” is an inappropriate name, I think what we really have been having is “I am taking the next big step in my life and I want you to celebrate it with me” parties (can you see why we simplified it to goodbye party!) When you guys come to see me on Friday, I don’t want your thoughts to be “OMG Ryan is leaving” I want your thoughts to be “wow Ryan is going to college” I want you to know that I am coming back, probably more often than I want to admit I will, and you guys can come visit me! I know Jeff and Tori are coming back to come home and see family and us. I know that even Nick who is seriously lacking someplace to come home to will come home, if all else fails one of us will open up our home for him for a vacation right! It has just been bothering me that we get so upset about people doing what they need to do, I mean nobody thought we were all gonna stay in Martinez forever did they? We should not be so fatal about this, everyone is coming home, and we shall all be united again, and if our friendship as a group is as strong as I believe it is, then we shall all be united again and again far into the future. I love you all, please know that I am not leaving you.
-Ryan
-Ryan