Back to School by Shaleen Kapil

Last year, this time, I was writing about the empty nest syndrome I had from my youngest leaving for kindergarten. This year, as I saw the kids off onto the bus for the first time ever (we used to walk at our old school), I was even more nervous. But I wasn’t so nervous about their school; instead, I was worried about my own.

Now that both kids are back to school, I decided to pursue my dream of getting a Ph.D. 

Last spring, I took the GRE again. That felt like a big step because it was a lot more difficult this time around than when I got my master’s degree‑probably because there was a lot more time between uses of inane math questions. (Yes, I truly believe having to look at a complicated algebra problem just to determine whether it is even or odd is an inane way to test for post-graduate intelligence.)

I held my breath for the next few months waiting to hear if I got in. The school was only going to accept 4 applicants. I felt confident that my education record was strong, but I was changing fields. I didn’t have particular skills or knowledge in urban planning, my intended field.

Long after I thought I had been rejected, I received my acceptance letter. Now, here I stand ready to begin my Ph.D.  I am very proud and excited, but I’ve also got the same jitters as the kids starting school and not knowing the teachers or where to go or who to talk to. This time around I have to balance family and kids with school. While my peers talk about finding roommates and cheap places to eat and go out to bars, I’m trying to find babysitters and pre-cook meals for the freezer and crockpot. Also, I’ve got to figure out pretty quickly what topic my dissertation is going to be on (feel free to throw crazy ideas out at me).

Deep breath. Whew, I get into a whirlwind just thinking about it. But I feel extremely lucky to be able to pursue my dream and to have a family willing to support me through it. There is so much good to focus on, as long as I remember to breathe.

Take your own deep breath with a sweet novella break by Shaleen. My Christmas Cupcake is part of Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 available Sept 27, 2015! You can find out more about Shaleen and keep up with her on Facebook or on her website.

Closed doors and Open windows

When God closes a door, He opens a window.

In French there is a somewhat similar proverb:

A quelque chose malheur est bon--

which can be translated as: A bad thing leading to a good thing.

Today I was thinking about the back problem that affected me when I was in my mid-thirties. At the time, my life seemed perfect. We just moved to Ohio and bought a big house. My children, then 7 and 12, were in a good school and doing well, and I had gone back to work for a great company after getting a MS in Chemistry. I was starting to forget the difficult beginnings and I was enjoying life.

At work, I shared a lab with four other chemists. We developed methods of analysis for pharmaceutical products, vitamin B12, Cepacol gargle, Oil of Olay, and others, and I used state of the art equipment. Before running an analysis we had to prep the samples using various solvents that usually came in 4 gallon jars. There was no space for more than one jar of each type of solvent in our third-floor laboratory. When we used it all we had to run down to the basement and carry a new heavy jar up the three floors through the metallic stairs. No solvents were allowed in the elevators.

After a year in the lab, I woke up one day unable to walk. My left leg wouldn’t carry me. Long story short, the doctors diagnosed a slipped disk in my vertebral column and bluntly told me I couldn’t continue to work standing on my feet all day long and carrying heavy things. I should shift career. I couldn’t believe my ears.

Anyway, my parents brought me to Boston where they lived and had many friends in the medical field. A neurosurgeon ordered a special brace for my back that I had to wear for six months under my clothes and six other months when I drove. I learned to bend my knees before I carried anything. My company gave me a leave of absence for one year. 

Determined not to remain idle at home, I applied for the Ph.D. program at the University of Cincinnati and was accepted. A new life started for me. I spent more time with the children, driving them to their various after-school activities, but I always had a book in my bag. I read and studied while attending soccer games and clapping hands, while watching ballet or skating lessons. Soon, our dining room became a study room with my books spread over the big table. The children often joined me and we made a very studious group.

I graduated four years later and was hired as manager of a lab. No more standing on my feet. The job turned into an interesting career with international traveling, until I took an early retirement to follow my dream and write novels.

Available at Amazon

I never regretted my second time around in school. My back problem had been a blessing in disguise.

 Have you experienced a time when a problem led to something good?

Mona Risk is a USA TODAY bestselling author of sweet--and not-so-sweet--romantic comedies. You can view all her books at www.monarisk.com or sign up for her newsletter. 

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