there is so much i’m gonna miss being at west point. i’ve already missed birthdays, friendsgivings, celebration dinners, &, right now, i’m missing my best friend’s branch night. i’m currently watching the facebook live, watching the faces of people i used to see everyday, eager to find out what the rest of their army career holds; they wait to see what all their hard work over the course of four years has earned them. i understand their anticipation, it’s the same one i used to have after every branch night that came before this, id count down how many more branch nights i’d watch until i’d be the one opening the envelope.
every branch night starts the same, the pms starts with a special message, “i’m very proud to be apart of this organization…you’ve made this organization better…you have left a legacy here….”. i’m pretty sure all branch nights will start that way, but there’s pieces of truth in it. i think it’s funny how i used to experience all of my friends achievements in person & now i sit behind a desk with a screen propped up with their faces on it. they can’t hear all the words of encouragement i have to tell them, instead i just text them & hope they feel even half of the love i had while typing it. i can’t hear the whispers they have in between the speeches & moments they’re experiencing in real time. we both won’t experience that moment that sits in the pit of our stomachs that tells us that THIS is the beginning of the end for our time together until the enter big army.
in this moment, i knew that i could become homesick for people too. i miss my best friends everyday, but everyday gets easier than the last. even thought i’m one day further from the last time i saw them, i am also one day closer to the next time i will. my best friends’ & i’s lives didn’t stop because i left, the world didn’t come to a complete vault because we no longer get to burn it down together, & the earths didn’t stop spinning because we don’t get to see each other evolve in person anymore. i know all of this to be true; unfortunate, but true.
today, i feel every single mile between me & them. but, today, they get a glimpse of the future, & i get to be apart of it in some way shape or form. this is something i am thankful for. to the class of 2024, especially my boys back home who have taken the time to mold & shape me into who i am now, i am extremely proud of you. There is something so special about who we get to experience life with during our college years, I’m glad mine were spent with you. You have seen me in the early hours of the morning as you stood in formation after formation, and in the middle of the night while we shared a drink over the life we were living and the life we hope to live in the future. You were there on my very first day of rotc, and I’m sure you will be there on as I finally commission as a butter bar (you’ll probably be a captain by then lol). Though our days have been hectic, and we went from seeing each other in passing somedays to not at all for months at a time, no matter how different we may carry out our lives when we separated, we have completed our end of the deal in our friendship. Thank you for allowing me to be apart of your life, and sharing this big moment with me, it does not go unnoticed.
you will do big things, i'm sure of it. Continue to change the world.
with all my love,
♡steff
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