Back in February, I talked about new beginnings, and the plans we had for the year. But, as Allen Saunders once wrote and John Lennon once sang, “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.” In the past few months, I’ve learned just how true that is. While we were busy making plans to move to Mexico, life kept happening. Now, due to circumstances beyond our control, we’ve had to push our move to July 2027. I won’t get into those circumstances–some things are not meant for public consumption. Am I disappointed? Yes. Will I get over it? Also yes. Because I honestly think it worked out the way it was supposed to. Life has a funny way of doing that sometimes.

Because we had to push our move back, I was able to go to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, for graduation! That’s right… I graduated! I finished the MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing program at Bay Path University, and I have the degree to prove it! vvvvn (That’s a contribution from my cat, Miss Potts. Leaving it here, because she had something to say, and who I am to silence her??)

Sure, I would have technically graduated and still gotten my degree, but I actually got to go participate in the graduation ceremony and, more importantly, meet some of the friends I’ve made along the way but never actually got to meet in person. If we had still been moving on June 1, I never would’ve gotten to have that experience. And, wow, I am so glad I did.

Graduating feels like a new beginning for me, like I’m starting the next chapter of my life. Because of the MFA program, I learned more about the publishing process and the publishing industry. I got to do an internship with a publishing house, where I gained some really valuable experience (and also got to edit some really cool books along the way). That internship also confirmed what I already knew: that my dream job is becoming an editor in a publishing house. And, yes, I know it’s a process to get a foot in the door in the publishing industry. But pushing our move back also means I have more time to bust that door wide open.

Speaking of next chapters, in writing my thesis for the MFA program, I wrote my first memoir. I have a few more stories I want to include that wouldn’t fit into my thesis page count, but I will soon be starting the process of looking for an agent and/or a publisher. I think I have a story that needs to be told. Three years ago, I don’t think I ever would have said that. Three years ago, I still had my ex-husband’s voice in my head telling me that I had nothing interesting to say. But now? Now, he has no power over me. I know my words are more powerful than his, and I do have something to say.

With my newfound confidence in my own words, I even had the courage recently to participate in my first open mic! We have an event here in Atlanta called Poetry in the Park, where creative people gather in the park, hang out, participate in group writing prompts, and have the opportunity to share our work during the open mic at the end. It’s a really lovely time and an incredibly supportive group of people. I’ve attended before but never had the courage to share. I was so nervous, but it was an amazing experience! And I have my entire support team to thank for that. Here’s the video if you want to see… (Sorry about the terrible quality but it’s the only video I have. It gets easier to hear me a few lines into the poem because I started speaking louder. I’ll put the actual poem at the end of this post [slightly edited from the original draft I wrote and read in the park].)

As I reflect on these past three years, I have a few people to thank for helping me get where I am.

• To Samantha, thank you for standing by my side these past three years and for being my biggest supporter and number one fan. Thank you for reading my work and for your suggestions. I could not have done this without you. I love you, and I’m in love with you.
• To Aubrey, thank you for loving me and sticking by me, especially through the hard times. You know better than anyone what those hard times looked like. Best roomie ever. I love you.
• To Katie, thank you for all the support and all the reading you did and the feedback you gave me. I love you.
• To my thesis group (Jesse, Erin, and Liz) and my thesis instructor (Kate), I could not have asked for a better group to finish this journey with. Thank you for everything.
• And finally, to everyone in the MFA program at Bay Path, thank you for taking a chance on me. This program changed my life and gave me my voice back.

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Here in Pride
Written by Robyn Weaver, 21 June 2026

We're all here yet
we didn't ask to 
be who we are

All we can do 
is know
that we exist
together

Because together 
is all 
we can be
when no one else cares

When no one else cares
we care because
we have to care
and we exist because
we have to exist
and we keep on going

Because
we didn't ask 
to be here
and yet
here we are
existing 
together 
in Pride

Cover photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash