When you think of a hard year, you typically think of having a difficult class load. But in some cases, classes do not always make the year hard. There are a million other things that can make a year difficult. Maybe there was a stressful experience, or maybe a falling out with your friends. Academics do not always make a hard year.

Academically speaking, my junior year has been one of the easiest I've had thus far. Being two years into my business degree, some of the core business classes have lined up perfectly with each other, making things easy to learn, or they have consisted of presentations and in-class work. So the challenging parts did not necessarily come from academics. Yes, there were moments of stress from tests, papers, and assignments, but none of the stress was out of the ordinary. It was the same stress I have encountered every semester and will continue to encounter throughout college.

What made this year the hardest was the feeling of going through it alone.

Yes, I have all of my friends. I have my sorority sisters. They have provided me with all of the love and support I could ever ask for. They are the ones I go to when I am having a bad day and need someone to listen, and they are the ones I go to after a great day to celebrate with. But there has just been something missing, and it has been the same thing that has been missing for the past year and a half, my mom.

There is just something about being able to go to your mom to talk about things that are bothering you or about exciting events going on. Getting advice from your mom, or from any parent, is something that cannot be substituted. There is just something about the way a mom can help calm the storm or raise you even higher on your highest days.

Going through life without the one person that was always there for you is not easy by any means. Although I can find constant encouragement and support from others, it is never quite the same. Losing a parent is never an easy thing, but it teaches you some important lessons. Those lessons help to make us stronger and help us to learn to work through the ups and downs of life in a different way than most people. We think differently because we've seen how quickly life can change.

Losing my mom a year and a half ago is something I deal with every day. It is not something that just goes away. There are days where life is fine and everything is great, but other days are not as bright. There are days where there is nothing I want more than to see her one more time and talk to her about all of the wonderful things going on in my life. But I know I cannot. I know I have the perfect guardian angel watching over me and sharing in on all of my experiences, and for that I am thankful.