1,364 pearls. Of Wisdom. Stemming from 1,364 days spent in this place that quickly became my home : Assumption College. We never dwell in the beginning on how we will change from point A to point B as we turn write the first capital letter to a new chapter in our lives. But this mini series will be a declaration of the lessons I have learned throughout my four years as a college student, away from the textbooks and power point presentations. A dedication to stunning individuals. A memoir to becoming unique. A love story with a place, people and precious pearls of wisdom. A love tale that took 1,364 days to write but would take a thousand more lifetimes to ever forget the moral of the story.
Picture two girls, one 19 and one 18, running back from a workout at the gym. Running because the rain is soaking through their clothes. But they are laughing wildly, nearly screaming and suddenly they are singing. Love song by Sara Bareilles. Singing and bursting out in spurts of dancing. A can can kick. A box step. Laughing so much their stomachs feel they might be ripping at the seams. Their hair is drenched, wild curls now sopping. And they unscrew the caps of their water bottles and pour the water everywhere, all over themselves and up into the air. Throwing water up in the air as the heavens throw it back. It was if someone could watch them from a distance and say they invented singing in the rain.

Life should be filled with outlandish adjectives: crazy, spontaneous, wild, vivacious, juicy and succulent. Life does not give you lemons. No, no, life is the lemon. It requires that you squeeze it tightly, let the juices purge out and then add the sweetness of your soul to mix. Delicious. Life.

Will we ever really remember the times we spent being anxious over a test or sweating it out in a job interview? Will those moments ever really be able to compete to the times when we were older in numbers but younger in spirits?

I say I am a double major: English and Sociology. But I feel I will leave this place with a lot more majors under my belt, majors that will do far more for me just by being absent from my diploma: A major in laughter, a minor in spontaneity. A major in random dance parties, a minor in marathons of sappy love stories that should be sold with a box of tissues. A major in trips to Dennie’s at 2am during finals, a minor in making up words and phrases to insert into everyday conversations, leaving the world thinking you are either foreign or you are absurd.

I don’t believe I will ever look back and wish to change any route that has led me to where I stand today. But we can all remember this for the future. The next time you are laughing, really laughing, don’t cut it off too short for the fear of needing to be serious. Laugh a little harder. Laugh until you cry. Laugh until you cannot even breath.

The next time we are met with the chance to be spontaneous, to veer off the path a little, let’s not play “pros and cons,” let’s just seize the chance. Take road trips. Eat desserts. Play music. Sing in public places. Greet strangers.

These past 1,364 have been a sweet sweet cup of lemonade. My future is a pitcher that I cannot wait to gulp from; to suck down the laughter and slurp in the spontaneity.

What is your favorite spontaneous moment?