We all know it’s a tough time of the year. Between final exams, group projects and piles of essays, it’s nearly impossible to find someone who’s not drowning in their schoolwork. We also all know what comes with this mountain of (procrastinated) work, as well: a splitting headache, a sense of impending doom and maybe a few tossed textbooks. Look, it happens. We all feel the effects of this time of year, and we often choose to shut ourselves out entirely in the face of this pressure. Whether we like it or not, this is college, and it just happens to be that time of year where college kicks you squarely in the ass.

Over the last few weeks, I have found myself unforgivingly in this position, and I wasn’t handling it too well to say the least. My work started to snowball to the point that I was no longer able to ignore it. My job also demanded more and more time, at a time where I didn’t have much to give. I felt as if I had nowhere to turn. That all changed with one phone call. It was my mom.

Normally I’m not the one to get very emotional, but that night that phone call served as an important reminder to me. I had gone far too long between calls with my mom, and that was my fault. But it wasn’t just that I hadn’t been calling, I simply just wasn’t thinking, either. I guess you could say my mind really wasn’t in the right place. That night over the phone, I had a lengthy

conversation with my mom, covering anything and everything we could think of. On the surface, I was able to take away a very much-needed feeling of relief from the conversation, but it wasn’t until the next day that I realized just how important that phone call was.

My mom showed me something I'd become very out of touch with, and that was care. My mom took the time to hear what I had going on, and she helped me come to terms with some things I wouldn’t have been able to without her. I love my mom, and I feel terrible that sometimes I take her for granted being at school. As you’re reading this, I can only hope you take one thing away from this. Your parents are always there for you, just as you need to be for them. Whether it’s your mom, grandpa, aunt or anyone else significant in your life, just give them a call. You’ll be amazed at just how good it feels to tell them, “I love you.”