Please Remember

      

This post is to my cohort. Cohort 49. I can promise you that none of you would be reading this right now if I hadn't just spent the last two years on a transformative journey with 32 other people. I would never have had the courage to type these words, let alone publish them for the world to read. Are you kidding? Be vulnerable? Hell. No. So this one is for them. #bestcohortever

Here is lyrical video to the song if you want to hear/read it at the same time. I'm going to post most of the lyrics throughout this post, though, because they are significant enough.

"Sometimes the time just slips away and you're left with yesterday, left with the memories. I'll always think of you and smile and be happy for the time I had you with me. Though we go our separate ways, I won't forget, so don't forget the memories we made."

Dear Cohort 49,

My life has changed tremendously in the last 2 years and I have our graduate program to thank. So basically, I have all of you to thank. Sure, the supervisors and faculty have had to guide us through our journey and for them, I am definitely grateful, but you all were in the thick of it with me, so I feel like a little more credit is due in your direction.

I went into the program with my walls up high. Not because of the program, but because of who I felt I needed to hide from the world (me). I had spent my lifetime to that point sitting comfortably behind a very thick, very tall wall. Then came our program and meeting people that wanted to make the world a different place. You guys threw me a banana. With hesitation, I took it. And with each consecutive banana, I felt like I took an extra brick or two off of my wall. Clearly those walls have come tumbling down and, as you can see, I'm showing the world what vulnerability looks like (to me) in its rawest form! That is because of you people. You have shown me that it is okay to be vulnerable and it is okay to make mistakes. You have exposed me to so many different points of view and have helped me transition into the person I am today. I will be forever grateful for the 49ers (this is the ONLY way I will accept that as ok... because we all know I am a Chiefs fan for LIFE).

I treasure the time we had together and I want to wish you all the very best of luck as you go out and change this cruel world into something more tolerable and beautiful, one client at a time (since relational pieces are no longer required). I appreciate each of you and, in your own ways, you've contributed to who I am as a person and therapist. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

With so much love,

Ashley C

"Goodbye, there's just no sadder word to say. And it's sad to walk away with just the memories. Who's to know what might have been? We leave behind a life and time we'll never know again."

"And how we laughed. And how we smiled. And how this world was yours and mine. And how no dream was out of reach. I stood by you, you stood by me. We took each day and made it shine. We wrote our names across the sky. We ran so fast. We ran so free. And I had you and you had me. Please remember."