Priorities & What I Value Most

As a full-time college student, it can be hard to get my priorities straight throughout the semester. On top of tackling a full class load, other things in life can happen that can cause me to go off track. Some of these distractions are small like spending too much time watching episodes of Law & Order or they can be very big like having to care for a sick loved one. But regardless of how big these distractions may be, I have to remind myself of what my priorities are and what my end goals are. But on top of all that, I have to remember the things I value in life such as my health and family. Balancing all the things I am responsible for is very difficult and now that we are in the middle of the semester and are nearing the end, I feel like I am starting to loose balance of the things stacked on top of my head!

Just the other day, I had to take my mom to the emergency room because the right side of her face had drooped and she could not close her right eye normally. Instead of going to school, which FYI she almost made me do, I stayed with her through the observation time at the hospital as well as through the afternoon to tend to her every need. And now that it has been several days, we booked a flight, hotel, and are getting our paperwork squared away to have her see doctors in the Philippines for an executive check up. I began to worry about how I would manage school and what things can I do now to prepare for my upcoming absences. As I was preparing all these things the other night, I thought about how in this situation I am in, I am willing to sacrifice my grades for the health and wellness of my mom because in the end, this degree that I am pursuing and the potential career I will be in is not only for me and my future family but it is for my mom and our future together!

I saved a quote on my phone by Alison Malee that says: "And I hope you learn to hold on to everything you find in this world that is worth keeping." Even though things are tough and quite scary right now, I have to think about the big picture and who I want to have around in it. My priorities in school can change and will have to if I want to continue to have my mom around. She has done so much for me and so what excuse do I have to not take care of her and give her everything she deserves?