Midterms!

Remember those awful midterm exams? The ones with ugly multiple choice questions where all the choices are correct, but some are more correct? I have learned that when you get the wrong answer, you have actually complemented the test maker! All of those possible answers that are not the correct answer are called distractors. When the stats are run on these exam items and no one chooses one of your multiple choice responses, you have created a poor distractor. Can you believe it? We actually want you to choose a wrong answer on occasion! Who knew??

I've recently been caring for my mom, who fell and became completely dependent. It was my midterm. I had finally learned about life balance in my 40's - 50 and it was like a light bulb went off. I learned how to say no to activities and people that were not healthy for me. I learned about the positive impact of yoga, meditation and playing music (hand bells are my favorite). I revelled in learning and exercise and really took my ease of living for granted. When mom fell, I quit all those things. Well, except for school (my employer had already paid for it and it was too late to turn back). I was happy to do it, it was definitely the right thing to do. The midterm was about taking my journey in a new direction and figuring out how to stay refreshed and rejuvenated in the absence of all those rebalancing activities. Or, are they really absent? There is a meditative quality to providing care for someone that wants to be independent. A fine balance between taking over and allowing as much Independence and normalcy as possible. Another problem on the midterm was staying motivated and fresh so that mom would know I wanted to be there and not anywhere else on earth.

I think I'm doing OK, but some great distractors have been a sense of hopelessness, finding doors closed at every corner, the inability to see the end and grief. Thankfully, I've had some great professors in my husband and daughter who remind me that I'm on the right path, that this is all temporary and that they are there for me, even though I can't be with them right now. They have been my support system and relief valve. They've come to my rescue more than once and I'm very grateful. I want to be a professor like that one day.

And by the way, to that Great Professor in Charge of the Course: Good distractors pal!