Let’s breeze through lunch today because I am anxious to discuss an article I read this morning.
I was hungry earlier than usual today.
Right around 11 a.m., I fixed myself a yummy lunch of chicken salad and a smoothie.
To make the smoothie I combined the following:
- 1 large frozen banana
- 1 cup strawberry banana Greek yogurt
- 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
- Enough milk to get everything goin’
It hit the spot!
The Best Years of Our Lives?
I read an article this morning that really touched me.
The author of the article, Marina Keegan, died in a car accident on Saturday. She was 22.
Keegan was a student at Yale University and her article was published by the Yale Daily News and distributed at the graduation ceremonies at the university last week.
(Source)
In her article, Keegan talks about the feelings she had as a student at Yale.
“It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together.”
Don’t we all love and crave that feeling? That someone is going through exactly what we’re going through? That we’re not alone? That we’re all in this together, struggling and trying to make the best of the cards we’re dealt?
It’s clear from reading her article that Keegan felt a real sense of belonging on her college campus and camaraderie with her fellow students. She says she felt the “opposite of loneliness,” and wanted to hold onto that feeling for the rest of her life.
The part of her article that had me nodding my head in agreement came in the middle.
“But let us get one thing straight: the best years of our lives are not behind us. They’re part of us and they are set for repetition as we grow up and move to New York and away from New York and wish we did or didn’t live in New York. I plan on having parties when I’m 30. I plan on having fun when I’m old.”
I love this.
As a teenager in high school and then as a college student, I remember cringing when I would hear adults say, “Enjoy these years. They’re the best years of your life.”
I get that being an adult comes with a lot more worries and anxiety. More pressure, more responsibility.
But the thought that the best years of my life are behind me is simply depressing.
I miss the crazy parties in college and high school. I miss living so close to my best friends. I miss not having to worry.
But while I do miss certain aspects of high school and college, I want to always try my best to love the life I’m living right now. Sometimes it’s a lot harder than others, but making a conscious effort to live a life that makes me happy is very important to me.
I want to spend time with my loved ones. I want to laugh with my husband every day. I want to explore and share. I want to be challenged and excited.
I want to always remember the fun times in my past, but continue to have fun in my future. I want to believe that the best years of my life occurred in the past, but will also occur in the future.
Thank you, Marina Keegan, for this reminder.
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Love LOve LOVE This! Brightened my day. So true, be positive for the future!
Great article, thanks for sharing!
“I want to always remember the fun times in my past, but continue to have fun in my future. I want to believe that the best years of my life occurred in the past, but will also occur in the future.” That is perfect!
I read this yesterday and was so moved by it. What an incredible writer she was and what a tragedy. We hear these stories all the time about people graduating college and dying the day later, or dying before a wedding, or dying when they are on the brink of something new and exciting. We always hear it from their family or friends though. To hear it straight from her only to know she has already passed just hurts so much. Thinking of her and her family and I’m glad you shared it. Xo Jenna
i love a little bit more of a deep post from you every now and again! i couldn’t agree more with what you’re saying here. it’s easy to think in the harder times that what is behind us were the “best”, but every phase of life comes with its good times and challenges. great reminder julie!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee 🙂
So sad about Keegan.
I think this is the best time of my life!
And I hope it keeps getting better so I think that through the years…
Thanks Julie. I’m the same age as you and I feel like I still have a ton of fun – in fact, I think THESE are the best years of my life. And I hope that when I have kids that those will be the best years of my life, and when I retire, those will be, too. I don’t think there’s any deadline on fun. RIP, Marina Keegan. How poignant.
Thanks for sharing this Julie! I too love to think back about my childhood/teen/university years, and often think those were the best of my life. However, like you said, there is still so much more to come and we have the power to make future days the best yet. Thanks again!
I love this, and it’s what I needed to hear today. My boyfriend of 3 years broke up me with me this weekend, and for no good reason.. I need a reminder that this (the happiness we’d had together and in my life already) are not the end, but there’s more chapters to be had.
What a sad story with a positive message. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly! It is an attitude thing with some “luck” and faith mixed in – there is something that is the “best” about every day, age, era. I always felt that way about my sons as they grew from babies to toddlers, etc. – each stage was the glorious present and there was so much to enjoy – and, I still feel that way watching them as adults in their twenties. Julie, you are a fine example of someone who does keep her circle of family and friends close and involved in the “party” of life.
What an impact Marina is having with her words…”only the good die young” is so often true.
What an insightful young woman. Her words will be remembered and cherished, I am sure.
Such a great message in this post!
I went to Cornell, and I felt the same way as Keegan. People often ask if it was super competitive and did everyone hate each other… but it wasn’t like that at all. It was much more of a “we’re all in this together” mentality. While I still miss college (A LOT), I try and focus on the here and now, and enjoy life. There’s still so much to look forward to, and when I look back, I mostly feel blessed and fortunate that I was able to experience those 4 years!
Love this so much! I plan on having just as much fun when I am 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 that I am now. Just because we get older and have more responsibility does not mean that we are not allowed to ENJOY life. Clearly from Keegan’s story, there is no guaranteed tomorrow, so live every single day to the fullest.
Great post! I agree! I hear people say I wish I could go back to when things were funnier and carefree like in ‘my college years’ all the time. I don’t agree that my best years are behind me either. In fact, I think my best years are to come; especially, since I am older and wiser than I used to be. I think that those times of being young and in college were the best times I could have experienced at that present moment. I will forever remember those times and they will be a special part of me but I wouldn’t want to go back. There are far to many adventures ahead. Like you I want to continue to enjoy my life until it is time for me to go. People don’t realize that being happy and enjoying what you have is a choice. You can choose to enjoy every moment or not too it’s ultimately up to you.
Thanks for sharing this article. It is very touching.
Wow. This is really touching.
AMEN! I totally love this. It is SO true. Once we learn to love what we have NOW, we won’t waste our time or our lives wishing we’d have THIS or that, or worrying about our past (or trying to live in it). Those who are happiest are those who LIVE IN THE PRESENT. She sounded totally happy and content 🙂 And that is beautiful!
Thank you for sharing!!
Love this!!
I agree. I believe with every trial, triumph and year under our belt we become more who we are made to be. We are the only ones who can do our lives and with time we can only get better at it learning our strengths and weaknesses.
Awesome post! If wine gets better with time, there’s no reason why the same cannot stand for life 🙂
I saw this article earlier and I thought she did a really great job of capturing that feeling we all experienced upon leaving college. Personally I think my best years so far have been after college! Don’t get me wrong, I loved those 4 college years, but I think even better than the partying and freedom, once you graduate there’s a whole new sense of coming into your own and I wouldn’t trade that for anything!
this article is amazing and it makes me so incredibly sad that her life was cut short post graduation, she would have gone far with that optimism! Thanks for sharing the article!
What a positive message. May she rest in peace. Her words really mean something to me especially after hearing the best years of your life are in highschool, college, now 20s, etc… I feel like you can always make your years the BEST years as they go.
What an amazing article, both what you said and what she said hit home on so many levels. Thank you so much for sharing.
Such a nice post, Julie! I agree, the best years of our lives can be each and every year we are alive. I find myself thinking about the college parties (now that I am an adult in the working world, in my first professional job using my Master’s degree) and how fun it was to wake up whenever I wanted during the week!
I wouldn’t trade my college days (aka: daze) for anything in this world and am glad to be in a different, more responsible and entirely new and exciting phase of life!
Thanks for the thoughtful post 🙂
Wow…great message for today. While I LOVED my college years and look back so fondly on that time in my life, I am glad to be where I am now, and I wouldn’t trade the feeling of satisfaction and contentedness that I have now for those fun times. However, even if it’s not college you’re talking about, it can be easy to look back to any happy time and wish that you could capture that feeling again. I think it’s important to try to remember that the bad times only make the good times that much sweeter, and that you WILL have good times again, no matter what.
Great share! High school was a trip; college was awesome. Although I miss living super close to my best of friends, I don’t want to go back to those years. They helped shape me as a person, but certaintly do not define me. As I get older comes more responsibilities but that’s part of life. It is super important to (try) be happy where you are in life RIGHT now. If you’re always looking back or forward life might pass you by.
Love it!
This is definitely true. Two years removed from college, I really do miss that carefree sense of breezy, responsibility-free life that I had when I was in university. I’ll always look back on it fondly, and many days, I find myself wanting it back,
Unfortunately, I’m learning that I can’t hold on to it. We have to grow up and find new ways to have fun on a more adult plane. Maybe that means fewer parties and recklessness and sporatic 2 AM adventures, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t find ways to have spontaneous fun with friends and gut-busting laughter. The transition is tough and its something I am still trying to figure out but I’m trying to remind myself that I still deserve to have fun, wonderful times…albeit in a different manner than college!
well said, faith! 🙂
Wow! Absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing this! It’s definitely hard to remind ourselves that our best years aren’t behind us as growing up definitely has its struggles and somedays just sucks. But life is what we make it and it doesn’t have to be so bad. Definitely a sad end to the story – she seems like the kind of person we need around!
This is so sad, and yet so poignant and touching and true. Often I find myself wishing I was still in college: those four years brought me some of my best friends and introduced me to the love of my life. But you’re right: I still (hopefully!) have so many more years ahead of me. To think that I’ve already peaked (before marriage, children, etc.!) is terribly depressing. Those were great times, but hopefully I still have many, many more ahead of me!
It’s never too late to have the best years of your life – it’s never too late to be happy – and it’s never too late to shape your current moment into the best it can be. I’ve heard so many people say they actually become happier as they age, feel more confident, secure, etc… the best years are yet to come!
These are the kind of reads that make you sit back and breath and take it all in…be thankful for every moment you have on this beautiful earth.
Thank you Julie for reminding us of how great of a future we all have and thank you for this young lady Marina Keegan for the great article.
I read more about her after you shared this story on Facebook this morning. What a talented writer, and what a terrible thing to happen to someone so young. If you Google her name, you can read some of her past articles she wrote for the Yale Daily News… she was truly gifted. Thoughts & prayers to her family and friends during this difficult time. I hope that we can all remember to live in the “now”… and remember that no matter how old you are, or what stage you are at in your life, this is YOUR life, a short one at that, and we should all live it to it’s greatest potential.
A favorite quote of mine that I hold dear to my heart:
“Do not let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present.”
“I plan on having fun when I’m old.”
I am 26 and got odd looks when I told people my husband and I just built the Diagon Alley Lego set…
I am having fun even though I am older….and will continue to when I am old 🙂
a harry potter fan, i see. 🙂
I completely agree. It’s sad to think that our funnest times were in high school (which it what I was always told). I think the live you want to live will determine how happy you will be, and it’s not the same for everyone. Thanks for sharing!
This is so true! I just wrote a post about not holding back and letting go- I think that is the only way to truly enjoy ourselves!
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Profound Words and a sad story.
i’m 33 with no intention of not having fun!! the fun is just beginning!
until my back gives out….lol jk 🙂
As someone who just graduated from university, her words really made me think! It makes me so sad that she passed away before she could host those parties at age 30…
i know. the same line stood out to me, too.
It can be tough to not get caught up in the little day to day worries! I struggle every day to focus on what’s important and while I’m not always successful, I know I’m trying. Great post!
Wow, I just adore this. As one of your older readers (32!), I can say that this is so true. You’re only as old as you feel and the best days of your life can continue indefinitely as long as you want them to! So sad that she was taken away too soon . . .
I couldn’t agree more with you. Each age brings about different pros & cons. It’s up to us to embrace both with a positive spin. Sure, we didn’t have the worry & responsibility in high school and college. But as adults, we have our wisdom; responsibility & worry generally come from having a deeper sense of love with individuals (and our doggies!) – someone/something to care for. Life is all about give & take.
WOW – what an incredibly powerful article, thanks for sharing it! It’s made all the more emphatic by what happened to her. It’s so, so sad that her life was cut short, but I hope her family and friends gain a small amount of comfort from realizing how truly she appreciated the life that she did have, and found joy in the moments while they lasted. What an impressive example for all of us!
Wow. Love this. Thank you so much for sharing, Julie! What an important reminder…
I completely agree too!! I’ve always told myself I’m going to be more fabulous at 30 than I was at 20 and I’ve been working hard to make myself just that. When I first decided that, I was thinking looks, but now I really mean every part of me will be better. I think if we live in the moment and are able to appreciate all the little blessings life gives us each and every day then our best days are today, every day.
Great post! A few months back I had a old co-worker of mine telling me how her son had just turned 18 and how she had waited for this day forever, and now that he had turned 18 she felt remorse for not living her life to the most and being in the present for so long. I find often I always look back to how life was or look forward to how it will be. It is tough but we all have to remind ourselves of this.
I love that article. It put me in a better mood on this dreary Tuesday. I’m still young (18) and I can’t wait for the future. I know it will be memorable and fun if that’s what I make of it.
I love that article. I remember that feeling so well. Heartbreaking yet hopeful. Terrifying yet exciting. I don’t know if I will ever feel that again.
I wrote an editorial for my college much like this one. It ended like this, and I still get chocked up thinking about it, mostly because that feeling of gratitude never truly goes away:
“My heart breaks as I say my final goodbye, because I am saying goodbye to so much more than a little town. I’m saying goodbye to memories, to friendships, to hopes, to a future that never happened, and to a love so great I can’t even wrap my mind around it.
And with that goodbye I whisper a grateful “Thank you”…for changing my life, saving my life, and helping me to continue my life. There isn’t enough gratitude in the world to express how a little town can do such big things for one person.”
Thank you so much for sharing!
My heart hurts for her friends and family, I just could not imagine. But I am so thankful she wrote such an articulate article, I hope it spreads, and reminds everyone. Thanks for bringing attention to it!
Wow, what a touching post. Both from you, and from her. It breaks my heart that someone so young with so much still ahead of her has died. Both the article and what happened to her are good reminders that we need to be happy right now with the life we’re living, live happily, and not take anything for granted.
I would agree with the article. I had more fun in college than in high school, and I had more fun in college than I’m having now, just because there seemed to be a bit more possibility back then. However, just because the possibilies have faded doesn’t mean they’re completely gone. I’m slowly discovering that I don’t have to be stuck where I am. I can still use the opportunities afforded to me by my education and my imagination. I’m a writer, so I’ve been writing. I’ve discovered that New York isn’t the only way to get books published and I’m finally starting to look ahead and get excited for the future again.
The good times are only there if you make them. I like her attitude, and it’s such a shame about the accident, but at least she left one fantastic message before she left.
On my birthdays, I always say “I am getting old!” and my mother ALWAYS says “I wish I would be your age again, so young!”
So, it is all relative, and neither the attitude of “oh, the glory old days” nor the attitude of “once my dreams come true” really appreciate that the best time is really RIGHT NOW. Just make it the best time!