As the end of the semester started to approach, I wanted to meet with Maram as I was not sure if she would be here next semester. I remember her saying that she would be leaving at the end of December. I remember this specifically as I could recollect how excited she was to be going home. As I texted her to meet, it was soon realized that both of our schedules are too crazy to have a proper hour long meeting that we were used to. Working through all her appointments as well as all my tests and meetings, we were able to come up with a meeting time where we would be able to meet for about fifteen minutes. This meet-up was nudged right between her last doctor's appointment before she leaves for home and our class. It saddened me that we were not able to meet for longer, but I knew that I was lucky to be able to give a proper goodbye.
When we met at Union Grounds, I was kind of at a loss for words. I am so especially bad at goodbyes that I didn’t know where to start. Goodbyes have never been my strong suit but I knew that I needed to eloquently express my appreciation for her time and friendship. As soon as we got there, Maram said that she had a present for me. She has always been so thoughtful but this gesture surprised me especially. She pulled out a box of Russell Stover chocolate and I nearly lost it. What is so coincidental about this is that for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a box of Russell Stover for every finals period. It’s something that has just always gotten me through the hectic, stressful time of finals even in high school. Obviously eating my feelings is something I do very often. When she gave me this, I was so extremely thankful that I hugged her, which is something that I do not do to people very often. I was so grateful for this simple gesture and was even more aware of how much I will miss her after this semester.
As soon as we got past this gushy phase, we were able to sit down and have a short conversation before class. She was telling me all about her finals and how they have been so stressful for her. She told me that she has multiple a day-something that I make sure to complain about to everyone when I have them. However, through all of this, she did not seem extremely flustered or frustrated. Yeah, they were pretty hectic but she seemed to talk about it in a way that made it seem like she was getting through it easily. I asked her why she did not seem to be dreading finals like the rest of us. She quickly responded by saying that she was so grateful for the opportunity to learn at TCU. To her, TCU education seemed like a privilege and something that she got the opportunity to do.
Through my conversation with her, I was able to see finals in a different light this week. Dreading finals seems to be a topic of conversation for all of us during this week however I was able to see it as a learning opportunity. Yes, it was still a frustrating experience, but it is one that I am grateful for.
To my surprise, Maram will be staying another month after she goes home this week! I am so happy that I will be able to see her in January. We have already made plans to meet up after break so I can hear all about her experiences in Saudi Arabia. We have formed a great friendship and it is one that I am quite thankful for.
I actually have a similar experience with my speaking partner. Ricky is leaving TCU after this semester and meeting with him for the final time was tough. Knowing that this could be the last time you ever see this person was very stressful. Like your speaking partner mine will also be spending a little time in Fort Worth before moving. In addition Ricky might be transferring to a school in Dallas where I would still be able to visit. Either way the thought of this possibly being the last time that I will see this person was very stressful.
ReplyDeleteI hope your finals go well! Happy Holidays!