On Monday, my roommates and I had our lets-give-thanks-dinner before we all departed our various ways. I got up, oddly, at 6:45am and baked a marble cake, using a recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor. It turned out moist but the almond flavor was a little too loud and overwhelming for me. Nonetheless, the dinner, of sweet potato casserole, cornbread, and string bean casserole, went well. We gave thanks, made a toast, and talked until I got up and went to the library.

Instead of continuing this communing, celebrating, and feasting the reminder of the week, I will be working on three papers due, every last one, on December 3rd and getting a head start on my two finals. Of course, these papers and finals will determine if I will earn the coveted, for some students, A+. I must admit that I am one who has been coveting. I have been working like crazy proofreading, researching, note typing, studying, and talking with my professors in order to ensure I am meeting their standards and understanding the concepts. This, however, does not supersede or negate the fact that I am a person that can think critically and creatively outside of and against the status quo or the standard deviation. I am always the dangerous outlier—the artists with mighty Pentel ballpoint pen. Nevertheless, I am not the grader in this scenario. I will be happy with an A, but, until it’s over, I am fighting for my A+. So, who can really enjoy a second helping, or a first, with that battle looming in the background of the tofurkey and stuffing?

I will warn you that when the work starts, it never seems to stop…there is no break…until the last day of the semester or field placement, which do not end, unfortunately, on the same day. You can let it go…go out on a Friday night…or go home for Thanksgiving. However, the work remains, accumulating alongside the leftovers and the dirty dishes. It’s doable but no less than a struggle, especially if you’re like me and strive for the A+ yet still know that it’s just a letter…”full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Enjoy!

…together in the struggle…

…wan love…