Don't Stop Believin'....

What a day.

What an amazing day.

Today was the last day of classes for me at CU. Ted put together a really nice slide show, song and speech for me...he made me cry. Oh Ted.

It was super sweet...I don't think that anyone has ever done anything like that for me. I can't believe it's been 7 solid years...seven years of blood, sweat, and tears into that building...as Ted pointed out, there hasn't been a show to go through that building in the past 7 years that I haven't touched.

After the little slide show, Ted handed me the flowers that I had purchased for myself that morning (he told me they were for Emmy....oh Ted.) And then Markas called for a speech, and I came up with a short little thing....but here is what I really would have said had the students not already sat through too much talking and if I had been prepared (well, I won't edit it or anything like I would have had I known):

I want to thank you all for the past 7 years. Without all of you, I never would have been able to do all that I have. You have helped make my dreams a reality, and I hope that you can say the same for me.

I hope you all realize what all of the faculty--the professors and instructors--do for you. I am sure that most of you know the long hours, the blood, the sweat, the tears...the many many tears. I have had the opportunity to get to be on both sides of the program here at CU--and both are challenging. And I never knew that teachers dreaded tests and finals just as much as students. Who would have thought?

I also hope that you all realize that YOU are what makes this department. It is each of you, and your commitment and contributions to this department that make it what it is. I have learned so much from all of you, I can only hope that you have learned as much from me.

If I had to choose one bit of advice to leave you with, one thing that you would remember about me...it would be this little tidbit that I have been learning over the past year:

People are going to continually try to fit you into some sort of box. They are going to try and force their expectations on you, and try and make you into something that you are not. They will want to clip your wings, tell you your dreams are impossible, and make you feel like a fool for being a dreamer.

The truth is, the only limitations you have are the ones you put on yourself. Only you can clip your wings, only you can actually put yourself into a box. And once you are there...it's pretty hard to get back out.

Your dreams are always within your reach. The impossible only seems so because you know how to dream big. And you are never a fool to dream...they are only jealous because they have already put themselves into a box, and no longer know how to dream.

Don't be afraid to leap. Sometimes you will fall--flat on your face. But isn't it worth a couple terrible spills just to see how far you can go? Isn't it worth it just to see if you can fly?

Of all the words to leave you with...these are my favorite:

Don't stop believin'. Ever.