I wanted to cry

I just came out of an office. It was my last meeting with my academic adviser. She gave me this paper to congratulate me. I wanted to cry.

3 years. Over 100 weeks. Over 10,000 minutes of driving. Insurmountable sheets of homework. Over 1 million words used in essays. And, it all ends in one day, May 5. I’m graduating.

Crying does not even surpasses the heavy burden that I went through over these three years.

Did I really survived?

Did I just overcome the endless therapy sessions because of my mental illness?

Did I just overcome battling migraines while driving back home?

Did I just overcome finding ways to pay for my tuition fee?

Did I just overcome not doing homework because I was too depressed to do anything?

Did I just overcome not getting enough sleep because of traumatic nightmares?

Did I just overcome thinking about giving up on school?

Did I just overcome thinking about quitting life?

Did I just overcome one hellish journey?

Yes, I DID!

I wanted to cry, but my tears are already dry for the three years that I went through.

So, now, I will rejoice. I will be thankful. I will dance. I will jump for joy. I will smile. I will sing. I will shout. I will scream. I will yell. I will hug someone. I will pray.

It is done.

Time for my next journey.

Jireh