Enchanted

Oil on board, 18x18, Oak floater frame
 
 
A-15 was their first apartment sophomore year at Penn State.
 
Six weeks into freshman year, they had to sign the lease for the following fall.
 
That’s a lot of pressure to commit to roommates and pray that you picked the right people.
 
These five 19-year-olds set up their new place and started a journey that would keep them together through graduation and life.
 
It’s kind of a big deal to move out of the dorm and into the hustle and bustle of Downtown Happy Valley.
 
A kitchen to prepare real food (macaroni and cheese and scrambled eggs), restaurants, shops, and Starbucks at their fingertips.  But most importantly, living together transformed each one of them.
 
Early morning alarms for class.
 
Late night study sessions.
 
Celebrating gameday by banging pots and pans and putting together the perfect “fit” to trek across campus to Beaver Stadium for a day of tailgating and football fun.
 
Pregaming for frats and formals.
 
Posing for the perfect pictures to remember each event.
 
They even made two group chats named “A-15 moms” and “A-15 dads” for the parents.  And wouldn’t you know it, they would send us weekly pictures.  How lucky were we?!
 
But woven into each memory was love.
 
They all grew up together.
 
They all had each other’s backs.  
 
They became each other’s family.
 
My oldest daughter, Allison, is one of the 5.  She deeply cherishes these 4 beautiful souls she found in college.  
 
After graduation last spring, they all prepared to head in different directions to start their new lives.
 
But before that happened, they had one last night together at the Taylor Swift concert at The Linc in Philly.
 
When she sang this song, they all started to sing along.  
 
“I was enchanted to meet you.”
 
Many tears, many hugs, many reasons to feel this moment so deeply together.
 
There was love.
 
There was trust.
 
There was a sacred bond.
 
 
Music reference: Enchanted, Taylor Swift