"So Long, Farewell... Goodbye"

 Last year you exploded onto the scene with an unexpected celebration of song and dance with the Holland High School Vocal Dimensions. This came as a bit of a surprise to those who only knew of you as the invisible, middle sister. The younger sibling of Mariah. The quiet one. The self-proclaimed introvert who seemed more comfortable in solitude than on a grand stage.

And then suddenly, you had a microphone and a spotlight and hijacked the audience with the charisma of a rock star - full of grace and truth. You seemed as comfortable under the spotlight as you would in the comfort of your own bedroom. You simply owned the performance!

And last weekend you returned in full glory. Now in your final few weeks as a senior at Holland High, you threw all of your focused energy into one last song and dance. This year's Vocal Dimensions was themed "On Broadway", including a celebration of musical performances throughout the years. 

You sang with gusto and danced with confidence and melted the hearts of everyone in attendance! You rocked with the 60's and masqueraded with the roaring 20's and never missed a beat. While the other members of the cast did very well in their own right, it was very obvious that NOBODY could match your stage presence. Your cute little smirk and dimple and stunning profile... you were mesmerizing in a thousand movements! 

The highlight of the performance came while Jacob (your boyfriend of 4 years!) was singing a solo on an otherwise empty stage... when suddenly you appeared from stage left. Slowly you approached him and he whisked you away for a silhouette dance that left us all in a million pieces of sentimentality. The two of you were carried away by a pure and holy love that seemed to synchronize with chorus of all creation... this is what love looks like. This is beauty and trust and vulnerability and effortless and magical.

In the end, the seniors took the stage for a rendition from the Sound Of Music. Each senior said their metaphorical goodbye with a song and a quiet exit from the stage. I knew immediately that there was more to this song than just a performance... You were truly waiving goodbye to hard and glorious years at Holland High School. You were waiving goodbye to the middle school years of being left out from your friend's groups. You were waiving goodbye to the mud and blood and tears of Cross Country, and goodbye to running in the rain chasing a soccer ball down the sideline and hearing your dad screaming in celebration. You were saying goodbye to the politics and the popularity contests and the homecomings and the dances and the dresses and the bleachers where you cheered for your boyfriend as he scored countless touchdowns. Goodbye to the morning coffees he would bring you ever day to school. Goodbye to Dutch Dancing and a Laketown Beach and all of the flashbacks over the years. 

Tears remained, and gratitude - only gratitude. 

Ambria Faith, "I'll be seeing you..."

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