Growing up with type one diabetes, I have developed the coping mechanism that everything must happen for a reason. This coping mechanism has carried me through my teenage years and into my twenties, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. There is a reason my pancreas stopped functioning when I was six months old, just like there’s a reason I got a job as a residence assistant (RA), just like there’s a reason I’m not friends with someone from high school anymore. I may not always know what the exact reason is at the moment or at all.
This year brought a variety of challenges to my plate, some expected some out of the blue, and random others that I probably should have seen coming. One thing is for certain I would not be getting through this year without my wonderful co RA, Madeline Thornton (she also writes for Her Campus and is our beautiful Big/Little Coordinator).
When I started this year, I was lowkey terrified. Despite this being my third year, there were so many new things and upcoming challenges. I knew Maddy from Her Campus, had seen her in passing, and even had a late-night philosophy class with her in the previous semester before we were RAs. Now, I can confidently say that we have grown and work together seamlessly. More than that, we have grown to be opposite sides of the same coin; I itch to text her every update and die laughing at her brutally honest readings of a variety of situations. She has grown to be one of my closest friends and I am eternally grateful for whoever decided we would make a stellar co-RA combo.
Growing up, I also struggled to create meaningful female friendships. I was seemingly way too nice to everyone, which made me at least a little off-putting. I was and still am significantly quiet and on the shy side. All of this combined, so I was acquainted with almost everyone; someone you would chat with in the school hallways but wouldn’t really go out of your way to make plans with outside of school.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed spending time with people and don’t think badly of anyone. No one felt like my best friend for life. Nobody got me in the same way I saw others describing their relationships with their best friends. It seemed I had managed to be “shy” enough to avoid an essential aspect of girlhood: female friendships.
Something that gets left out when you hear any “college is the best four years of your life” lecture, is that this statement is true because of all the hardships, and growth. There are so many people to thank for allowing me the privilege of struggling as well as people to thank for allowing me to learn about myself and the joy of female friendships.
Most specifically, I am singling out Maddy for showing me how you can be both a kind-hearted human being and a “b*tch”. I aspire to be like you every single day Miss Maddy and cannot thank you enough for everything!
I am devastated that I will be a student teacher next semester and then graduating. Therefore, I unfortunately can’t be Maddy’s Co-RA for the rest of her years, nor can I see her at least once every week, an incredibly mutual feeling. I will be apologizing for eternity and am excited for the next chapter in my life (and to come back and visit).