I’ve grown up being on swim teams. I’m in no way a college swimmer, I leave that to my cousins, but because I swam for so long it’s the sport that has shaped my life. Although I don’t swim competitively anymore, some of the lessons my coach used to give us have stuck with me. One phrase that has been stuck in my head over the past couple weeks is “Finish strong”. It is fairly self-explanatory, but one point that my coach used to add was that it did not just mean go as fast as you can on the last length. He meant to keep pushing until you slammed your hand into the wall. It is easy to just glide in and touch the wall, but the extra stroke or kick to get there can make a big difference. It can take all of the energy you have left, but it’s necessary.
Recently, we have had a lot of big decisions in Wexford regarding our respective futures. Luckily, my decision about where I will be and what I’ll do is already decided. At this point, I have about two months left and am officially in the home stretch – the final lap, if you will. I’m having a similar feeling to last year in college, a whole range of emotions. Last year these emotions could be understood with the term senioritis, but this year is simultaneously the same and very different. Part of me wants to stop everything and slow it down because I can’t imagine leaving Wexford. There are also many big things happening in Wexford that seem to make the weeks fly by. Our students will be making their confirmation in two weeks, and First Communion in a month and a half. The other part of me is excited for a new experience and being able to go back to South Bend. It seems right now that there are so many things to start thinking about regarding next year.
Bernadette, Maureen and Sara after the Easter Vigil with two of the people who make Wexford so great – Sr. Mary and Sr. Josephine
So how do I strike a balance? Is it possible to slow down and be as present as possible while simultaneously planning for the time when I return home? That’s where the phrase finish strong comes in. Similar to doing an extra stroke to get into the wall just a bit faster, now is not the time to glide along. Now is the time to put into motion all of the lessons that I have learned in Wexford, like the importance of a cup of tea and a nice chat. Even though I want to slow things down, now is also the time to prepare for the beginning and the end.
In these past eight, seemingly very short, months that I’ve been in Wexford I have accomplished the goal that I set for myself – to grow. I wanted to grow in as many aspects of my life as I could. As I see the end of my time coming up quickly, I realize how I have exceeded my expectations and grown in ways I did not realize I needed. The time that I have left is meant to take all of those gifts that I have been given and allow them to become part of me. It’s incredible what the love, support, and understanding of a community like this can do. I hope that my final two months are the best I have yet, and that I indeed finish strong.
