Driven
Emma’s heart sank as she awoke to the sound of her alarm. Her head was pounding, her throat raw, and a fever flushed her cheeks. It was the worst possible timing—midterms were just two days away, and Emma had been working tirelessly for weeks to prepare, getting barely any sleep. Only getting an average of 6-7 hours per night! Now, the thought of even lifting a textbook felt monumental. Her body froze as she attempted to pick up the textbook and study in bed.
As the day wore on, Emma's cold transformed into a full-fledged flu. Her mom brought her tea and soup, insisting she stay in bed. But Emma couldn't let her hard work go to waste. From beneath the covers, she set her laptop on her knees and began reviewing her notes in small bursts, taking breaks whenever her body protested. "If I can't study for hours, I'll study for minutes," she told herself.
When the morning of the first exam arrived, Emma still felt weak and fatigued, but something inside her refused to give up. Wrapped in a scarf and armed with tissues and determination, she shuffled into school. “Just take it one question at a time,” she whispered as she stared at the first exam paper. Slowly but steadily, she worked through her tests over the next few days, leaning on sheer grit and the knowledge she had built over the semester.
A week later, Emma sat in the cafeteria with her friends as their teacher handed back the graded exams. Her fingers trembled as she turned over the first paper: A+. Her eyes widened as she received the rest—A after B+ after A-. Emma was stunned. She had faced a mountain of challenges—sickness, fatigue, and self-doubt—but she had persevered. Emma’s parents were thrilled with the perseverance Emma had.
As she looked down at her stack of grades, a realization hit her like a fresh breeze: I can do anything—even when the odds are stacked against me.
“Good job Emma!” Her dad enthusiastically yelled. This has been such a great journey Emma. Mom and I discussed the outcomes of what would happen if you did well, and came up with a couple of ideas. “Mom and I can take you to a restaurant, we can let you have a sleepover with your best friend, and/or we can take you to a steakhouse tonight.” Emma’s mom said.
From then on, Emma carried that thought with her like a shield. She learned to trust in her resilience and to give herself grace. And while she hoped to avoid falling sick before future tests, she knew she had the strength to overcome whatever middle school threw her way.