Sweet Sorrow

It's over. Shabbatot in Austin, my West Campus fun, my friends, my status as an undergraduate. I am sad. Graduation was this weekend and it was fantastic! My fabulous friend, Miss Sara Coane, was with me for the Liberal Arts ceremony and then again for the University-wide shindig. It was fabulous to spend such a momentous occasion with so dear a friend.

Today,I went to Ben's to pick up the last of my stuff. I couldn't help but stop just before I left. I had so much fun sweating back and forth between his and the girls' place all semester. I took a minute to sit on his floor and think about what being young and having fun were all about for me. I was lucky; I suppose that I am still lucky.

Now, I'm sad. I'm getting older. I'm closing out a chapter of my life. I miss the girls already. Early this afternoon, Ravit, Ben, and Sara returned to Houston where they will continue with their summer plans. Ben is working for Shell this summer and will continue at UT next fall. Sara will be in Israel this summer; she'll begin law school in Houston in the fall. Ravit, thank goodness, will be in NYC working with her newly-acquired M.S. in Social Work.

Most of my friends graduated and moved back home to their home towns. My native Austin buddies will continue to be here, living life as it comes to them. Either way, I'm off to the Capital of the World with Ravitita. Adulthood is so overrated!

I'm nauseous. I hate good-byes. I never expect that I'll have to be a part of them.

With any luck, Ravit and I will both find husbands and commence a new chapter of our lives, one more permanent and cherished, now that we've had some practice at living and at loving.

"A long, long time ago,
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance,
That I could make those people dance,
And maybe they'd be happy for a while ...
So, bye, bye ...
And in the streets the children screamed,
The lovers cried and the poets dreamed,
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died."

(Do I really need to cite this?)