Blessed to be Stressed

It’s the middle of November which means crunch time for college students. The fall semester is coming to an end. For many of us this means working on papers we have had to work on all semester, or studying for a few extra hours for the final test which is going to have a big impact on our semester GPA.

When I think about finals time one word comes to mind… stress. I think about all of these things I have to do before the spring semester and it makes my head hurt. I often wish I could go back to being a little kid where my biggest “stressors” were making sure I woke up early enough on a Saturday morning to catch my favorite cartoons. I was so lucky to have a childhood where that was the case. Being apart of UNI Dance Marathon has showed me there are kiddos out there who have a lot more to be “stressed” about. This organization has opened my eyes to the world out there where kiddos have to wake up everyday make sure they take all of their medications, being held back from doing things “normal” kiddos get to do because it could be dangerous, and having to make trips to Iowa City for check-ups.

I am grateful for an organization that makes me see how little my worries need to be. This organization reminds me there are much bigger things out there to be worried about. The stresses that a college student has nothing on those kiddos who go through numerous treatments, have to take multiple pills a day, and wake up with aching bones. So when you think you’re stressed to the max, take a step back and think about how lucky you truly are.

I once heard a quote that said “You should feel blessed to be stressed” and that is something I think all of us could use as a little reminder during these crazy times in the semester.