What a Winter…

To think that this quarter could have gone as smoothly as it did still surprises me.

I don’t necessarily believe that there needs to be some world where I completely flopped, did poorly in my classes, failed to maintain my friendships, and not be good with time management. For me, that alternate reality stands at odds with what happened because of the people that helped make it what I knew it could be. For as much as I would reflect and take pride in how much I worked to make the most of life, I could only go far because of how much grace and support those around me granted. The slower walks around campus and the city, the willingness with helping get things up and down stairs, the lack of timeliness I would sometimes exhibit, it didn’t matter. Folks just continued to take whatever they could out of their days to help make mine just a little easier.

Winter oftentimes is the worst quarter of the year. It’s the weather, the sun setting at 4:30 PM, and the general fatigue after already having a quarter under our belts. But this one was different. I don’t think the fatigue aspect of previous winters went away; in fact, I’d say I hadn’t been more physically and mentally drained heading into a quarter before. The one aspect of life, though, that wasn’t exercised was my capacity for being a scholar. As much as I was generally frustrated or anxious about getting my own reading pace back, I still…