1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years
10 years from now
If we pass by each other, let’s make it worth while
Whether we only exchange glances, or a small conversation in a nearby cafe
Let’s make it worth while, because the person I knew before, I won’t know then
Maybe your hair will be longer, or maybe you’ll have the haircut you thought about for the
entirety of high school
You might dress differently, speak differently, and act differently
But I trust that your eyes will look into mine the way same they did at 17
That in the second our gazes meet, memories will flood back simultaneously
And in that brief moment, you’ll have the same awkward haircut you had a few years ago
The same jacket you’d wear every thursday
The same backpack that carried unfinished homework countless times
And the same smile that shedded with insecurities
But when I look into your eyes
I’ll see an unwithering flame of young ambition, the curiosity of what’s to come, and the fear of
change yet the temptation of the new
I’ll see the glare of a child with nothing yet everything to lose, a child stuck between decisions,
adults, time, and childhood
And possibly, if we sit down for a while to chat, we’ll order the same coffee we did in our
upperclassmen years
We’ll share warm smiles and sweet stories
Reconcile over our drinks and how they don’t taste the same anymore
But for sure, the ingredients will have been the same as they were before
The truth is, nostalgia just tastes better.
Categories:
When We Were Seventeen: A Toast to Passing Glances and Lingering Flames
Graduating Senior, Dalena Pham, writes this heartfelt reflection that captures nostalgia. Written as a letter to a future encounter, it invites readers to imagine a reunion years down the line, where simple moments like eye contact or coffee orders bring back the weight and warmth of youth. It’s about memory, transformation, and the hope that even in passing, we might still recognize each other.
by Dalena Pham, Writer
May 22, 2025

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