Today I go down the mountain to Spartanburg for the last class meeting of the semester at Spartanburg Methodist College. I won't be driving down to administer final exams; once I found out that an in-person exam isn't a requirement (but a final exam is), I shifted to an online submission of an essay assignment that they'll receive today.
I am trying not to feel panic at the thought I have all to do in the next few weeks: grading for my SMC classes, grading for my online classes, submitting final grades, final papers for my seminary classes, attending those last classes. But I know that I can do it.
As always, I think back on the semester and marvel at how quickly it's zoomed by. I think about a Facebook post I made months ago, August 12: "Getting some sermon writing done before I leave Virginia in a few hours to drive back to North Carolina, so that I can drive to Tennessee tomorrow morning to preach. I'm not exactly a circuit rider or an itinerant preacher, although this week-end it may feel that way. On Tuesday, I'll drive to South Carolina to teach English at Spartanburg Methodist College. Instead of a blessing of the backpack, I need a blessing of the Prius."
It's been such a satisfying semester. I've really enjoyed being back in the physical classroom, teaching in person. I thought that I would, but even so, I've been surprised. I've really enjoyed being in charge of the Sunday service at Faith Lutheran. My seminary classes have been good, but even more, I've enjoyed being an intern for the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA--such great experiences that I wouldn't have had otherwise. I've loved living in our Lutheridge house near Asheville. Although I haven't had time to do all the cool things that the area offers, we've gone to a brewery here and there, and I've gone to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch.
One of the reasons that I often feel sad as one season shifts to another is that I reflect on how much I enjoyed about the season that is passing. Even when I haven't enjoyed the day to day of my life as much as I have this past semester, I've felt a bit of sorrow at these passages. I see it as the good kind of sorrow, the kind that reminds me of how fortunate I am to have these days/weeks/months that remind me of the delights of life.
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