Full speed ahead.
It seems to be the only way that I do things and it has been that way for 21 years now. I tend to steamroll from one thing to the next, completely investing myself in what’s in front of me, while preparing for the next thing.
I thought for me the pattern would continue with my upcoming graduation, trip home for a graduation party and then off to my summer internship. During my summer internship, I planned to apply to a yearlong internship. Those were my plans.
I love having a plan and knowing what is next. There is a sense of security that I have come to rely on. Yet, a single email changed everything. In the blink of an eye, I had no plans and no clue what was going to come next.
My graduation ceremony has been canceled; my graduation party is postponed for the foreseeable future, and the only thing I have heard from my summer internship is that nothing has been decided.
I’ve been forced to slow down and take on challenges one at a time. Originally, all of this led to me feeling like I was watching a bad movie of my life. I was watching it pass by and nothing was happening.
Yet, life did not come to an end while I’ve been waiting this season out. I’ve had more time with my family now than I’ve had the rest of my college experience. We’ve watched more movies than I can count, baked more goodies than we should admit and even played some very late night card games.
This time isn’t wasted. I’ve learned to be content in finding the adventure of the unknown. I’ve learned that slow doesn’t mean unproductive. I’ve been given time to reflect on what truly matters now that everything has been stripped away.
While I would not wish this on my worst enemy, it just might be pretty OK. All of these things that I have learned would not have been found in the classroom.
Communities are pulling together and people are finding new ways to help and support each other. Good can come out of poor circumstances. What felt like a breaking point only proved my resilience.
My world didn’t end and neither has yours. Life is slowed down and maybe, just maybe, that’s a good thing.
