A mural on the side of a building has letters and words arranged like a crossword puzzle. In the center we see the word "possible."

By Anne Schober, Youth Leadership Advocate

I love summer. I love the idea of wearing flip-flops every day, soaking up the sun while sipping on lemonade, enjoying a refreshing dip in the pool, savoring Lancaster County sweet corn, catching fireflies and watching the sunset. . . summer is my season. And yet, October excites me.

O-C-T-O-B-E-R. . . football season (Go Irish!), nights spent by the fire roasting marshmallows, sweatshirts and warm blankets, the smell of fallen leaves and the anticipation of children donning Halloween costumes while gathering candy from friends and neighbors. But October is much more than that to me. It is the month where the Leaders of Future Generations program becomes REAL.

Andy Warhol once said, “The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.” However, I feel the words that ring more true are eagerness, impatience, and anticipation. After meeting with our student mentors, the anticipation grew even more. Watching their eyes sparkle as they looked through their materials while wearing their mentor name badges made my heart burst. They asked intriguing questions while showing self-confidence. They showed empathy toward one another while sharing a little about themselves. Through this short meeting, the mentors became a family and I knew I was witnessing the beginning of something extra special.

And yet I still have to wait. . .

Fall is the perfect time to launch our new Leaders of Future Generations program. It is a season of shedding the old while anticipating all that will be new. While nervousness and excitement tend to be confusing my thoughts, I know in the end everything will be “okay.”

And so I will continue to wait. . .

Because everything is coming together. . .

Because, perhaps, waiting really does make it more exciting!