LoveJodyLynn | To the College Graduate

“You made it! Congratulations!” Over the next couple of weeks you’re going to receive countless cards of this nature. Telling you, that in some sense of adulthood you have arrived.

But it doesn’t always feel like that. Sometimes walking that stage will feel more like being thrown out to wolves than accomplishing something. The comfort zone of campus and friends and teachers and homework that you were so ready to be done with, will now feel like a safety net keeping you from floundering in the world of interviews and adult expectations and growing up.

But you’re doing a great job. You really did make it. Where? I don’t know. How? Because you didn’t give up.

And there will be moments coming up when you think “This…THIS is what it means to ‘make it’ … ugh”

You see – now that you are graduated the world wastes no time in telling you who and what you should be.

Responsible
Working
Living on your own
Pulled together
Not wearing sweats everyday
Cooking real meals
Settling down

And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with the above list. There is nothing wrong if that’s also not the case for you.

If you never got a ring by spring – you’re gonna be ok.
If you are still working your college job because you accidentally got a degree in a major that apparently only requires more schooling – you’re going to be ok.
If you walked the stage only to realize you have no desire to do what you went to school for – you’re going to be ok.

If you get your “dream” job or any job really only to find out that group projects still exist – you’re going to be ok.

If you burn the chicken, the lettuce goes bad, your milk sours – you’re going to be ok.

If you marry your college sweetheart and things are way harder than you ever thought – you’re going to be ok.

You “made it” but all made it really means is that you’ve entered a new zone where you’ll experience the good, the bad and the ugly. You made it through another section of life, you learned new skills, you developed habits, you proved to yourself semester after semester, project after project that you can do it.

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.