Congratulations! You made it. Four years flew by so fast. Faster than your 18-year-old bright-eyed and bushy-tailed brain can fathom. You had some great times, made lifelong memories, challenged yourself in more ways than one and you became the 22-year-old that is writing this letter to you today. I must admit, we don’t have a career plan, we are not getting married and we don’t even know what city we are going to be in, come August. However, the past four years have created a deep trust in the Lord and a stronger belief in His word and His sovereignty. Life doesn’t always turn out exactly as you planned, and I can safely say we are better off here than the way we planned it at 18.
Even though I am proud of how it all worked out, I have a few nuggets of advice for you to take with you as you live out the best four years of your life.
- Be present in every single moment.
EVERY MOMENT – The big and exciting days, the insignificant walks to class, the feeling of waking up on game day, the spontaneous trips to Samford lawn with your friends. Enjoy the awkward gameday dates and lean into the hard classes that challenge you every day, these situations make you a better person and aren’t as bad as they seem in the moment. The sad truth is that the reality you are in now and every moment you live out has an expiration date and you never know if you will get to live it again. So soak it up, take a million photos and live in the moment.
- Say hello to EVERYONE, even when you are shy.
This is a hard one. I know that you automatically assume no one knows you because you are from a small town. But you only get four years with these people and every conversation you miss because of that fear is time lost and a valuable relationship delayed. Even if they don’t remember you, they will always remember the kind person who is intentional every time they see them and says hey to everyone they meet. This quality will lead to so many relationships!
- Compare yourself to no one but your past self.
Comparison is the thief of joy, guard these words inside your heart with everything in you. Comparison is a hard thing, especially with girls. College however is the first time that people begin to enter different life stages while still being the same age as you. IF you let yourself fall into that comparison you will feel behind, you will feel like something is wrong with you. But know this, people will get better test grades than you, people will get engaged before you even get a boyfriend and people will start entire careers before you ever decide what you want to be. That is okay. Have faith knowing you are working hard, doing your best, and trusting in the Lord’s timing for your life.
Auburn is a sweet place with kind people and ample opportunity. You will have amazing friends and 5 roommates that you love with everything in you. You get the opportunity to follow Aubie around for three years and he becomes your whole world. You live out the dream of being Kappa Delta’s New Member Educator and you live through a global pandemic. But Most importantly, You learn the value of who you are and the value of the work you have accomplished here. Your current 18-year-old self sitting in that 209-square-foot dorm room will never know how special this place will be to you. Enjoy the good and bad days and seize every opportunity, I hope I have made you proud.
Sincerely,
Your 22-year-old self