Photo by Wade Sullivan

Sarah Davis

Recently, I saw on social media that a former classmate of mine, Mor Ilderton, is auditioning for the 26th season of NBC’s “The Voice.” That is an outstanding accomplishment within itself, and I made sure I was home in time to watch his audition.

I can’t remember the last time I talked to or saw him, but that doesn’t matter to me. When I see someone I’ve crossed paths with doing great things, I will always root for them.

No matter who they are, where they are or what they did that was so great, you can count on me cheering for them.

Everyone, especially people who grew up in small towns, have people that were only meant to be there for a season, and one of the most prominent examples of this are old classmates. Chances are, graduation night was the last time you saw a lot of your fellow classmates from high school, but that doesn’t mean they are gone forever. 

The past 12 years have been spent with these people, so of course they won’t immediately disappear. Although you may never be in the same room with them again, they live on in your nostalgia, memory and Instagram feed.

We all know the feeling of that random lab partner showing up with an exciting announcement, and, in this case, I will always be excited for them.

Just because we’ve moved on from high school doesn’t mean we should move on from being proud of each other, and just because we haven’t talked since that one class doesn’t mean I can never comment a “congratulations” or “excited for you” when I’m genuinely celebrating with you.

Oftentimes, the reason that relationship faded was due to life changes, not negative forces. As we go through different stages of life, people come and go, but that’s not inherently a bad thing. 

Taylor Swift, a global musical sensation, wrote a song entitled “dorothea” in her 2020 album “evermore” about supporting friends and relationships that died off over time, and there is something so beautiful about not letting the barriers of time and distance separate old friends and acquaintances.

Swift posted on X (formerly Twitter) when the album was released, talking about the song. She described “dorothea” as a song about childhood and the connections you make.

It’s even better to see groups of once-connected people banding together for others. For instance: my high school graduating class. On my old classmate’s social media account, there are hundreds of likes and comments from our class cheering him on in his endeavors.

That’s the power of a community that cares for its own. 

That’s why I will never be above wishing my old classmates good luck. Whether it’s been two years since graduation or 50, I will always root for them.

Sarah Davis can be contacted at [email protected]