Two years ago, through sheer random chance and sorting, a beautiful, perky, sarcastic, brilliant girl was assigned to my group of students. She quickly became more than my star student. She became my star student, mentee and protégé, drinking buddy, eventually flipped the tables and let me be her star writer, and most importantly, became one of my dearest friends.
Nightswimming, remembering that night
September’s coming soon
I’m pining for the moon
And what if there were two
Side by side in orbit
Around the fairest sun?
That bright, tight forever drum
Could not describe nightswimming
I don’t remember the conversation around it, but I do remember she once told me that the R.E.M. song “nightswimming” made her think of me. I downloaded the song, fell in love with it, and now every time I hear it, I smile and think of her.
I’ve been smiling and thinking of her a lot lately, as she graduates yesterday/today/tomorrow from Communications/CHID and the UW as a whole. She is at the top of both her classes, she has been commencement speaker for one of them, and very shortly she’s running off to spend the summer in China. And I sit here, on the other side of the country, so proud of her I could just burst; so tickled that I played even a small part in her shining as strongly as she has.
This is one to watch – she’s going to change the world.
Congratulations, MoMo.
Always loved that song.
It’s been a crazy few days and I’m still trying to come down, process it, untangle the web.
But this makes it easy, uncomplicated and easy to untangle. It is all a matter of love, respect and mutual admiration.
Who knows what made me think you needed to hear Nightswimming? Maybe it was the situation we shared? Maybe I thought it was anthem of sorts? Perhaps karma is just a beautiful thing.
Thanks lady.
PS: Thesis, etc., will be sent soon.