On Graduation

There is a moment while boarding a plane where one foot is on the jet bridge, and one is in the plane. It is a moment of transition. You are travelling from solid ground to an airplane which is about to travel miles and miles to your next destination. I was thinking about this and how much of a transition my step onto the plane this morning really is.

              I’m sitting here looking out of my plane window above Phoenix ready to start the next chapter of my life. This is the last time I will leave Phoenix by plane for quite a while. I graduated from SRA and high school in the last week, and will not be returning as a student ever again. I said goodbye to my friends there, and I came to the realization of what SRA has meant to me and what I will be leaving behind.

              SRA’s therapeutic program has been the hardest thing I have done in my life. It was a long road, with many ups and downs, and downs and ups. Finally, I made it to the end on the biggest ‘up’ of them all. This change in my life represents all the hard work I have done and what I have accomplished.

              I am a different person than I was 21 months ago. I went into SRA hardly going to school at all, lying in bed, and isolating myself from the world, because I was afraid of everything and everyone. Now, I recognize I am strong enough to handle everything the world has to offer. I am through with living my life in fear. I am a curious, capable, and authentic individual who loves and connects with herself and others.

Graduating high school was hardly a possibility back then, and now it is over and done with a semester early. I am excited about my life and ready to face the world head on, which I’d much rather be doing than lying in bed being afraid.

              While much of this is all exciting and happy, of course there are the sad parts too. I’ve made some really strong connections at school that are unlike anything I have experienced before. The people at SRA showed me so much love and supported me more than I ever imagined was possible. Now, leaving them is incredibly difficult. I made my goodbyes pretty short, because it was hard to look people in the eyes and say goodbye.

              I know I’ll see these people again; I mean, I am visiting next month. As hard as it is, I am confident some of the connections I made will be lifelong. The hard part comes when I accomplish something without them, when I wake up and they aren’t there, and when I’m having a bad day and all I can do is call instead of give them the big hugs which once were so common. They won’t be there every day anymore, but I know they are rooting for me as I am for them.

              It’s been a journey, and now it’s over and I start the next amazing year in my life.

              To fill you in, later this week I will be heading over to Hawaii with my family. It should be a lot of fun, and we’ll be doing a lot of fun things there that are really once in a life time opportunities. Maddrey Christmas in Hawaii: this should be interesting.

              After Hawaii, my father and I will begin our big Raptor trip across the country. I’ve always wanted to travel the country by car and see it close up, and what person better to check that off the bucket list than my own father?

              I’ll keep posting when I get time, at least once a week, and maybe not just on Sundays. Thank you for reading!