Exams are done, grades are posted, and my cap, gown, and hood are pressed. Graduation is on Friday. This weekend I say goodbye to friends and classmates who were strangers only two years ago, and I can't believe it's this hard. There are friends going to Ecuador, San Francisco, Denver, New Jersey, D.C., India, Thailand, Los Angeles, Miami and all over. The controlling part of me wants to grab everyone and not let them go, not let the clock continue its endless spinning, but such is life. Being in this city and meeting new people every year is exciting but along with that comes the hole that remains when they're gone. I once thought I would be the leaver, but now I find myself being left behind. This state of being requires perspective, purpose, and a whole lot of resilience. May God give me all three!