In late October 2022, during my first year at Middlebury, I visited one of my best friends from high school for the last time in New Hampshire.
Despite his body being weakened by cancer, his eyes still shone with strength. We had a normal and lighthearted conversation for an hour before he had to return to his room to sleep.
I told him we all loved him and cared about him very much, and his last words to me were “I know.”
This experience was a significant part of my grief process at Middlebury.
Author's summary: Coping with loss at Middlebury College.