I’ve never really known how to say good-bye,
because I’ve never experienced an ending that is truly the end. Every event in
my life has ended with the promise of a continuation or an evolution. For
example, at the end of the school year in kindergarten, our teacher handed out
little booklets that we could write our names and phone numbers in to keep in
touch with each other over the summer. This meant that even though we were
leaving our classroom and the simplicity of kindergarten, we would be comforted
by the presence of our old friends when we moved on to the first grade. It was
then that I realized that endings are all in how you treat them.
In the weeks leading up to Grand Assembly,
many people asked me how I felt and I wasn’t completely sure how to respond.
The same thing happened in the days leading up to it, and even the hours
beforehand.
Then it happened.
Our beautiful, wonderful Grand Assembly
happened. It struck me before the Grand Officers entered, while I was standing
behind that giant anchor atop the staircase, that for some in attendance it was
their first time seeing a Grand Assembly. For others, it was the last time they
would be a part of one as an active member. This made the experience all the more
valuable, because I knew that so many others had been looking forward to the
day, not just myself and the Grand Officers.
Friday and Saturday went by faster than any
of us could have imagined. We watched as our fellow sisters took to the floor,
performed their ritual, and glided along as if they had been walking in gowns,
crowns, and high heels their entire lives. It was a display that captured all
the glory of our organization, and really showed why we work as hard as we do.
The Grand Officers quickly fell in to a comfortable rhythm, a sort of
controlled chaos, in which there were so many moving parts of the weekend that
somehow managed to work together.
Then it was over, almost as suddenly as it
had begun.
On Saturday night, the 2015-2016 Grand Officers
entered together for the last time. Luckily, none of us acted like it was the
last time. If you were to have watched us line up, you would have seen the same
giddy, energetic group of girls that took office last June. We focused not on
the fact that we would be exiting our offices, but instead on the fact that we
had one last opportunity to have fun together, which made all the difference.
As we retired our jewels, I fully expected
to be hit with feelings of sadness at the end of the year. However, as I looked
around at all of my friends and those who had supported my officers and myself
throughout the year, I felt more appreciation than anything else. I felt
appreciation for a group of people who had committed themselves to embracing
our theme. I felt appreciation for a group of girls who had come together to
make our beautiful Grand Assembly possible. Last, but by no means least, I felt
appreciation for the opportunity I had had over the past year to serve as Grand
Worthy Advisor.
I have been out of office for about a week
now, and the best feeling that I have had so far has been watching the new
Grand Officers travel to other Grand Assemblies and represent Massachusetts.
The work that they will do from this point on is what I consider to be my legacy,
and from what I have seen, it is certainly a legacy of which I am proud.
Thanks for a great year everyone.
