Page 25 - 2006 Tomahawk

The Graduate's Summer of Good-

Bye

The Ia t dance, Ia t pep rail}, and Ia t tud~ hall .. enior) ear in high
ch ol ~ a long eri of fare\\ ell . mo t of them high I} emouonal.
un ettling a It nm be to Jea,e their 13-)ear career a tudent .
senior ' mo t '' ren hing good-b) c are u uall) their good-b) to
friend If the) 're lea\ ing home for college or th workplace, they
knm\ that the) can alv.ay~ come home to reconnect" ith fa mil). But
tho e trea ured fnend "'ho hared their li\ and kne\\ them be t·
the) might ne\er ce them again. nd although the) s\\ear to each
other that the\ \\ill tay in tou h the po ibilit) that th1 1 a final
fare\\ ell I almo t too muLh to bear.
Be au e of thi unbearable notion of terminal separation man)
emor ' Ia t ummer before le~wing hom 1 con umed b) an urgent
need to p nd a much ume ~ po -.ible \\ ith their friend .... It' a
-.ummer of endlc s parties and httle time at home. !\time for hanging
out \\ith and hanging onto their friend . Time pent m anxiou
recognition of"' hat and ''hom they arc I ,1\ ing, '' hile being rmall)
unsure of'' har trul} lie ahead.
E\en though their out\\ard fo ·u i on a\Oring C\Cf) last moment
\\ ith fnend , rudent kno\\ all too \\ell that rhcy are al o leaving
I orne and b \ ing parent~ and sibling The life that the) hm e
harcd \\ith their famil) i changmg fore\l~r. tudent.., rna) promke
argumenh '' ith fanHI) member . and gi\'e more attitude and hp 111
an unconsciou attempt to make it easier to leaH: ) ou. It\ c~ ier for
·eniors to :t) to one another. "~ly fa mil)· drh ing me crazy. I can't
'' ait to lea\ e.' Than to tearfull) admit, "I don ·r knl '' ho'' I'm going to
lc 1 ., them.''
J em need their one-on-one fare\\ ell \\ ith parent , their ibling
ma(a Other do e famil) member . ,tudcnt arc toO bu ) a\Oiding and
den) ing fear and heartache.
In thi wnmer of the long goodbye, rhi Ja..,t ummer of their
childho d, tudent need parent help to let go .. and to hang on