The semester is over. Well, almost. Just a few final exams and papers left. But, for the most part it is over. I don’t know how it was for you, but for me it was a tumultuous one. This, in a nutshell, was how it all went down:

Norton mother murdered. Two teenage girls shot in head and left for dead.Welcome back to UMB.Schoolwork, schoolwork, schoolwork.”Your father has cancer.”The world stops for an instant.”The Age of Innocence”Invasive species. Chinese Mitten Crab.Columbus Day. No school.”Happenings” and “Many Mansions”Sox win, again.Our nation’s capital.Neglect.Blackout.Halloween. Midterms. No costume. No candy.”A Lost Lady””The Fairie Queene”Anger.Cupcakes!Happiness. Sugar rush.Thankful.Football.Exhaustion and hair loss.Running.Jingle bells and twinkling lights.Editor-in-Chief.Pressure, like the world is a vice.Stuffed. With thoughts. With food. With work.Today.And that was it. It was over in the blink of an eye, the life of a tear. I’ve grown and evolved. We all have. It’s been a little nuts, to say the least, but it has been worth the hassle. That chapter is over; the semester is done. Now, a new one is set to begin, another mile in the road of life. Am I ready? Are we ever ready?