Before I Leave These Woods

These have been the fastest four years of my life, and I have spent all four years as a content creator for the Office of University Relations. Writing blogs for the University is not my entire job. I’ve organized and archived information, transcribed audio recordings, and even had the opportunity to utilize my animation skills. However, writing blogs has always been a central part of my work, and it feels strange that this is the last one. I cannot wait to start my career as an animator, but moving on is always bittersweet.

My experience as a Forester would not have been the same without all the people God had me cross paths with.

Everyone I’ve worked with, from my bosses to people I interviewed to everyone who happens to work in the same office, has been wonderful. They are incredibly supportive of what I do in and out of the office, and they always brighten up my day. Thank you.

I could give a thousand thanks to all my professors, and it still would not be enough. I may not have been the perfect student. Despite my flaws, however, the teachers both related and unrelated to my major have lifted me up and empowered me. Thank you.

The workers at the Dining Commons and HUB have made every meal swipe special. They not only provide an invaluable service to us students, but the brief exchanges we had brought a spark to somber days. Thank you.

Being more withdrawn and quiet, I lose my breath thinking about all the friends who have found me. The bonds I forged here made me a better person, and I can only hope to give back a fraction of what they gave me. Thank you.

I may only be acquainted with a few members of the custodial staff, but I urge everyone to give appreciation to our custodians, our grounds maintenance workers, and our Department of Information & Technology Services. Thank you.

There are so many people who left an unforgettable mark on my life. I want to list every name, but that list would be way too long. However, there is one person who does not exactly fit into any of the above categories. Yet, I cannot go without thanking Martha Smith for her dedicated kindness and guidance. Thank you.

For my final blog as the University’s content creator, I wrote a poem as a sort of good-bye. Titles are not my strong suit, but I think I’ll call this one:

Greater Trees

Young paisleys dance on callow limbs.
Green blankets across tender floor.
We laugh while glancing past the trim
Where things grow jagged, strange, and more.

But desert seeps through Heaven’s grip
And dusts our fields of quilted ease.
Imploring us to flea this ship,
“There’s more to find in greater trees.”

Diversions wilt neath time’s cascade.
I cling to brief patches of sage.
But this grass echoes beaten jade,
While emeralds thrive on the next page.

My hour short, my thoughts adverse.
Wounds unresolved; plans left unsure.
So over there, it must be worse
For timber frail and immature.

The forest paints my deepest dreams
Which gasp upon an arid bed.
So take my roots past wistful seams.
A token joins my path ahead.

The desert wished me greater strides
And beamed with golden, tearful pride.

I will miss this campus so much. Thank you, Huntington University, for these past four years. Thank you for helping me pave my future. Thank you for strengthening my faith.

I will miss you all.