I always thought it would be the big FFA milestones I would miss. The moments you expect to matter the most. But as time passes, it’s the little moments that tug the hardest.

I miss the sarcastic back-and-forth comments Mr. Stokes and I would make toward each other, the ones that broke up long days and made the ag room feel lighter. I miss after-hour contest practice, when everyone was tired but still managed to be goofy while we were at it. I miss spending practically all day in the ag rooms, even when I wasn’t really supposed to, because that space felt more like home than anywhere else.

I even miss the fake interviews and practice speeches – the ones I dreaded every single time. The awkward questions, the forced confidence, the nerves that never quite went away, and all the tears shed. Back then, those things felt so uncomfortable, but my advisors never once gave up on me. Now, I see how they prepared me for some of the biggest moments of my life.

Those small, ordinary moments didn’t feel important all the time, but they were shaping who I was becoming all along.

So if you’re in the middle of it right now – stressed, busy, counting down the days – slow down just a little. Pay attention to the moments between the milestones. One day, those will be the things you miss the most.