Graduation-related events have started happening. Senior traditions, share nights, “lasts,” “thank yous,” and eventually “goodbyes.”
But mostly “thank yous.”
There was a lot of that at InterVarsity senior dinner tonight. One guy even went around the room and identified some memory or aspect of each of us that he admires. I could do that too — for all the people in that room, as well as many who’ve graduated in the last 3 years or have yet to graduate in the next 3 years. They’ve taught me so much, and instead of saying a sad “goodbye” it’s incredible to say a heartfelt “thank you for teaching me _________.”
A blog on this topic: “Don’t Say Goodbye…Say Thank You.”
(It’s about terminating a clinical internship, including saying goodbye to clients and colleagues, but it gets the point across.)