You know its family weekend when…
- The bookstore is buzzing with little siblings buying FU swag.
- You get adopted by your friends’ parents if yours can’t make the trip.
- The pace of cars is slowed by parents in awe of the beauty of this campus…or just confused by which traffic circle they are supposed to turn at.
- The Furman mall is filled with barbecue and mac and cheese, sweet treats and even sweeter tea.
- Even a slight mist falling over campus for 72 hours straight can’t dampen your spirits, because you get the chance to show your family why you love this place you now call home.
- You get to venture out of the dining hall and hit downtown Greenville’s lively food scene.
- An impressive amount of purple fills the stands to cheer on the football team.
- The goodbyes are just as hard as when you left home in August.
This family weekend was quite different from the past three for me because a very important piece was missing: my family. They couldn’t make it down, so I spent the weekend enjoying my friends’ families and realizing how thankful I am for my own. I love family weekend because you finally see why your friends are the way they are.
I think one of the strangest parts of college is not knowing your friends’ families. Even the ones I do know, I don’t get to see very often so family weekend is one of my favorite Furman traditions. I love watching parents interact and bond over hilarious stories they hear about their daughters and sons. I love watching parents reminisce on their college days. I love watching parents begin to understand why we love this place so much.
So, here’s to you, parents! Thank you for the sacrifices you make for us daily. Thank you for always encouraging us to do our best. Thank you for loving us well.
