a friend of mine and i were talking this weekend about how life sometimes gets in the way of school. we grad students have a tendency to place school first and do other things (ex: socializing with friends; eating regularly; calling family members; bathing; etc.) only when we have time. i was talking to her about my dad -- when he was in medical school in the 70s, he got really sick over finals week, recovered too late to make up the exams, and had to redo an entire year of school. as i said to her, he's told me this story a couple of times when i've complained about feeling like i wasn't moving fast enough in life in order to let me know that in the long run, that little bit of falling behind doesn't even matter. it's true -- despite having to do that year over, he still became a doctor, still has a family he loves, and still has a happy and fulfilling life.
while i've always known all of this, i sometimes get wrapped up in the immediacy of school requirements. i find myself not caring about food or rest and i lose track of the things that are important in life. yes -- doing well in school is important, but really not as important as spending time with my friends, getting enough sleep, and making time for my husband.
in the long run, it's okay if one weekend, i only read the "conclusions" sections of my assigned readings, or if i skim a book instead of reading it all the way. it's equally fine to go out on a saturday night and sleep in on sunday.
this is a lesson i'm familiar with, and yet i still need to re-learn it every once in a while. and that's okay, too.
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