Saturday, Oct 28 was the beginning of an end; it was the grand finale to many seniors’ cross country seasons. It was a day of screamed encouragement, endless laughter, and ugly cries all around. The second they crossed the finish line, the reality came crashing down on the senior runners that their cross country season was coming to a conclusion and their new season of life was beginning. That, in and of itself, was difficult to swallow for everyone there.

When the last race was completed, it took all my strength not to burst into tears when I tried to imagine a season without the remarkable people that I call my teammates. Truly, there has never been a team like this one, and there won’t be one like it ever again. That is a sad fact to come to terms with. Every runner brought a fresh perspective and energy to the team, and that’s what made the team so unique.

The past season, as strange as it was, was unlike any other, with countless new runners and a new list of added activities like waking up at the crack of dawn to swim or getting better stretches through yoga. It was unpredictable and crazy, and I loved every moment of it. I loved struggling together through tough workouts but still pushing each other to be our best selves. I loved doing crazy things like playing impromptu dodgeball instead of running when the sun itself was sweating in the sweltering heat outside. I loved running together in the pouring rain and in the complete darkness, overjoyed by the exhilarating rush of endorphins as we faced and conquered the elements.

Late on Saturday night, I sat on my kitchen floor in distress as I solemnly reflected on cross country. Hundreds of pictures and tears later, I came to the conclusion that although it’s hard, life is full of change and disruption. Seasons of change are particularly hard for me, but at the same time, I realize that change is what makes life as amazingly wonderful as an intricately spun spider web of connections. People come and go through our lives, and although everyone must leave at some point, the mark they make on our lives will always remain.

The season of cross country has now passed, and so now, another season has arrived. As hard as I grasp at the people that I love who are destined to leave, the time has come to let them go but to be there to embrace the change and the fresh slate of a future.