Seven out of the past eight years, I have joined the Holy Cross community in celebrating the profession of Final Vows. My freshmen year as an Old Collegian, I hardly knew the men who gave their lives over fully to the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience; but I still felt a deep appreciation for what they did, and who they did it for. Each year I was able to join in this fantastic and joyful event that calls together Holy Cross religious from around the country. My year at the Novitiate was the only time I was not in attendance for the incredible weekend. Every time I heard those men say "forever," I was able to understand a bit deeper what that might mean for me. As I progressed in formation, the men themselves meant more to me, as I grew in familiarity with them for each successive class. The men professing Final Vows moved from older men in formation who I aspired to be like, to peers, to then being brothers.