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| Francis Ralston is the daughter of my good college friend Hank (and Sherry) Ralston |
I never want to forget the way I feel today.
I have never loved anything more than I love Carolina basketball, and last night I felt it love me back. For as long as I can remember, the greater part of my 22 years of existence, I have waited for a moment like this. I have listened to stories from other Tar Heels (mostly from my favorite one, my dad) about their defining moments at UNC but never been able to feel it firsthand until last night. I got my defining moment last night. And the greatest writer on earth couldn’t have dreamed up a better story for me to live.
Eight days ago I woke up, put on my Beat Duke shirt and got ready for my favorite holiday-National Hate Dook Day. A blizzard arrived in North Carolina, UNC cancelled classes for the next two days, and then Duke didn’t show up to the game. It was going to be the game of the decade and it didn’t happen. That is, it didn’t happen that night. It happened last night.
There’s a first time for everything, and over the past 8 days I have experienced a lot of first-times. I sledded down the biggest intersection in Chapel Hill at midnight on 7 inches of snow. I found out that you can postpone the greatest game in college basketball if one team doesn’t want to face the weather. I watched the unranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels beat the #5 Duke Blue Devils in the Smith Center. I rushed the Carolina blue court. I ran to Franklin Street and screamed Tar Heel chants at the top of my lungs with 10,000 of my classmates and 7 of my best friends. I jumped over a fire in the middle of the road.
Believe it or not, there is one first-time this week that is better than all of those listed above. For the first time, I feel like my time at UNC is complete. It’s finally whole. It’s definitely full. For the past few months I have been internally struggling with the fact that I have to graduate from this university this year. I’ve been sadder about it than I have about anything, but today is the first time I don’t feel sad. I feel happy. I feel grateful. I feel humbled by all of the experiences I have had at this university over the past 4 years, and last night was the icing on the cake. It was the missing piece to my puzzle. Now I feel like not only have I made my mark on this campus, but it’s made its mark on me.
Few people will ever understand how it feels to experience a time like last night and today. But for those who do, you know that it takes over your entire being. I was trying to think about where would be the best place to experience last night’s game, and I came to realize that there is no such thing. Being at the game and rushing the court was electrifying. Being at Top of the Hill and watching the students fill the streets would be incredible. Being in an apartment or dorm and running to Franklin would be unforgettable. Being in Spain and staying up all night to watch the game would be amazing. Because last night wasn’t a game or an experience really, it was a feeling. And it can be felt anywhere at anytime. It’s a feeling of home, of familiarity. Walking around Chapel Hill today I feel like everyone I make eye contact with is a close friend of mine. We all share that special feeling that no one can take away from us, that can only be described in two words: Carolina basketball.
My dad said it best during our usual postgame phone call last night. He said, “This is why we suffer. For moments like these.” And he’s exactly right.
I’ve had my fair share of suffering as a Tar Heel. I’ve seen key players leave our basketball program halfway through the season. I’ve witnessed our football team go through scandal after scandal, make a comeback, and lose in the last 21 seconds to a top 10 team. I’ve watched our basketball team that was supposed to win a national championship suffer from injuries that ultimately ended the season. For my 4 years here it has felt like we’ve always been just almost there. But I don’t care, because had I not gone through all of that, I wouldn’t feel the way that I do today. I wouldn’t be able to feel the love of this University and this town and the people around me so strong and true and absolute. But I do, and that’s something that no one will ever be able to take away from me.
I have never loved anything more than I love Carolina basketball, and last night I felt it love me back. For as long as I can remember, the greater part of my 22 years of existence, I have waited for a moment like this. I have listened to stories from other Tar Heels (mostly from my favorite one, my dad) about their defining moments at UNC but never been able to feel it firsthand until last night. I got my defining moment last night. And the greatest writer on earth couldn’t have dreamed up a better story for me to live.
Eight days ago I woke up, put on my Beat Duke shirt and got ready for my favorite holiday-National Hate Dook Day. A blizzard arrived in North Carolina, UNC cancelled classes for the next two days, and then Duke didn’t show up to the game. It was going to be the game of the decade and it didn’t happen. That is, it didn’t happen that night. It happened last night.
There’s a first time for everything, and over the past 8 days I have experienced a lot of first-times. I sledded down the biggest intersection in Chapel Hill at midnight on 7 inches of snow. I found out that you can postpone the greatest game in college basketball if one team doesn’t want to face the weather. I watched the unranked University of North Carolina Tar Heels beat the #5 Duke Blue Devils in the Smith Center. I rushed the Carolina blue court. I ran to Franklin Street and screamed Tar Heel chants at the top of my lungs with 10,000 of my classmates and 7 of my best friends. I jumped over a fire in the middle of the road.
Believe it or not, there is one first-time this week that is better than all of those listed above. For the first time, I feel like my time at UNC is complete. It’s finally whole. It’s definitely full. For the past few months I have been internally struggling with the fact that I have to graduate from this university this year. I’ve been sadder about it than I have about anything, but today is the first time I don’t feel sad. I feel happy. I feel grateful. I feel humbled by all of the experiences I have had at this university over the past 4 years, and last night was the icing on the cake. It was the missing piece to my puzzle. Now I feel like not only have I made my mark on this campus, but it’s made its mark on me.
Few people will ever understand how it feels to experience a time like last night and today. But for those who do, you know that it takes over your entire being. I was trying to think about where would be the best place to experience last night’s game, and I came to realize that there is no such thing. Being at the game and rushing the court was electrifying. Being at Top of the Hill and watching the students fill the streets would be incredible. Being in an apartment or dorm and running to Franklin would be unforgettable. Being in Spain and staying up all night to watch the game would be amazing. Because last night wasn’t a game or an experience really, it was a feeling. And it can be felt anywhere at anytime. It’s a feeling of home, of familiarity. Walking around Chapel Hill today I feel like everyone I make eye contact with is a close friend of mine. We all share that special feeling that no one can take away from us, that can only be described in two words: Carolina basketball.
My dad said it best during our usual postgame phone call last night. He said, “This is why we suffer. For moments like these.” And he’s exactly right.
I’ve had my fair share of suffering as a Tar Heel. I’ve seen key players leave our basketball program halfway through the season. I’ve witnessed our football team go through scandal after scandal, make a comeback, and lose in the last 21 seconds to a top 10 team. I’ve watched our basketball team that was supposed to win a national championship suffer from injuries that ultimately ended the season. For my 4 years here it has felt like we’ve always been just almost there. But I don’t care, because had I not gone through all of that, I wouldn’t feel the way that I do today. I wouldn’t be able to feel the love of this University and this town and the people around me so strong and true and absolute. But I do, and that’s something that no one will ever be able to take away from me.
