More than Friends

Graduation was a joyous celebration of what the residents completed in the past four years. It was also the time when most of us were getting ready to move on to the next chapter in our lives...in different parts of the country. All of us knew that it was going to be hard to say goodbye..but it was even harder.

These people were not just our friends. They were our stand in family during the past four years. They were our neighbors and our community. We saw most of them everyday. We celebrated showers, births, baptisms, birthdays, promotions, anniversaries, and holidays together. We supported each other when we were sick, in the hospital, during the death of family members, during difficult times in our marriages, the stress of work, homesickness, and many sorrowful moments of life. We were each others rocks.

We had fun and explored the area together. We had countless BBQ's for no reason and shared endless cups of coffee (or stronger drinks). I am not exaggerating when I tell you that we could not have survived the four years of residency without each other. More than survive we helped each other enjoy our time and celebrate the good times.
Since we have left we have still exchanged daily emails, texts, and phone calls. We have made plans throughout the upcoming year to meet and see each other. It isn't the same...it will never be the same. All we can do is say thank you, tell each other how much we mean to each other, and say until we meet again.