May is the month of endless possibility. Being in the middle of spring, is like the gateway of rebirth.  Everywhere you look outside, things are coming to life and growing.  The College also comes alive with the hopes and dreams of all the new graduates, as they struggle though their last few finals.  As I write this PCT is preparing to hand out freshly minted degrees to a record number of students.  So many that we were forced to split commencement into three ceremonies! I just have to wonder how many of those new graduates have any clue what they are in for.  In honor of all the new graduates of Penn College, I offer up the following ramble.

    When I look at the wide variety of conditions the month of May issues us every year, I cannot help but feel that it just might be the very best analog to life itself.  May offers days which range from stunningly perfect, to depressingly dismal.  The weather in may can swing from snow one day, to 80 degrees the next.  On those perfect spring days you can take a walk and see a see of green, purple and red.  Intertwined with these vibrant colors are the sounds and sights of all the wildlife preparing to bring their young into the world. Everything just seems to work on days like this. 

    I think everybody can acknowledge the beauty of those 72 degree sunny spring days. The part that we often forget is that even on those dismal dreary days, nature continues to break though and create anew. This often gets forgotten in our busy world.  Go for a walk or ride though the woods on one of those less than perfect days.   The sights and sounds of nature on a rainy spring day are something to be witnessed, as words cannot express the feeling.

    You will see beavers attempting to reconstruct dams destroyed by raging spring waters  You will see birds working hard to keep their nests dry.  You will see deer rerouting their paths around newly fallen trees.  You will see plants taking advantage of the new water while they have it. No matter what the situation, life will persevere. 

    I think this is a huge lesson that we can all learn from.  Even when the world seems to be raining all over us, we must remember that life will soldier on.  Everybody loves those perfect days where everything seems to go our way.  We must remember that just like in May, life is anything but consistent. No matter how crappy it is today, those sunny skies may only be a few days away  The conditions of our world can change on a dime, we just have to make sure not to lose sight of the big picture. 

    Now, If anyone can tell me what the hell the big picture actually is, we might get this life thing figured out!