Time to Remember

#ThrowBack to my sweetheart.

We’ve been together since November 4, 2011. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chad, I love you, and I always will.

Originally posted in the November 2015 edition of the CU Denver Advocate.

Four years ago, on November 4, my life changed forever. I remember my 16-year old self slipping into layers of sweatshirts and nervously checking my face in the rear view mirror, before stepping out of my jeep and heading into the student section at the football game.

I remember all of the moments I wiped my nose on my sleeve, the enthusiastic cheers of my peers as the football crossed into the end zone, and how the stars made a special appearance for our small-town Friday Night Lights. Mostly, though, I remember the feeling of slipping my hand into my boyfriend’s for the very first time.

Nostalgia is powerful. I find myself slipping into an abyss of reflection and an abundance of memories. There is beauty in the past, as there is hope in the future. Time is complex—painful, intimidating, eloquent—and it can be such a treat to review, if you’re lucky.

In the past four years, I’ve grown tremendously. I managed through the stresses of high school and juggling the pressures of being a leader in both the classroom and on the field. I survived my graduation speech as class president, and the trials of working summer jobs. I got through packing my bags and moving hundreds of miles away from home, without my car. I’ve found my voice as a student, and as the Managing Editor of the Advocate. I have allowed myself to grow as an individual.

In the past four years, I’ve learned lessons only available through loving someone, completely. I felt the sweetness of high school romance, as the senior boy walked me to class. I went through an agonizing year of a long distance relationship as the love of my life went off to college. I felt the relief of fights full of yelling voices shatter in an instant of eye gazing. I felt satisfaction in knowing that the two of us, through everything, have grown into new people, and have been fortunate enough to grow together as we enter adulthood.

Time will never cease, and change will not stop shifting. It’s important to move forward, without forgetting to appreciate the moments of the past that have brought us here. Chad, happy anniversary. Thank you for a beautiful four years.