Life Will Continue Even If You Don't Get an "A"

Life will continue even if you don't get an "A."  About once every semester, I find myself having a conversation with a student to assure him or her of this truth, which for some, can be an exceptionally hard lesson to swallow.  I teach some amazing students -- gifted thinkers, eloquent writers, astute researchers, engaging speakers.  And yet, even with these talents and abilities, sometimes a student doesn't get an "A" on a particular assignment.

It happens.  Not everything is our best work.  Not everyday is our best day.  Sometimes we try hard and fall short.

These conversations always have a come-down-from-the-ledge undercurrent on my behalf, a calmness that comes from being separated by many years from my college GPA and a wisdom that realizes that future life plans are rarely as dependent on one singular item as we sometimes think.

Of course, the reason I can be calm is because I've moved past that point.  Grades no longer bother me because I'm no longer graded.

But there are days, if I were being graded, that I'd have red marks all over my papers.  I'd get a "C" in keeping the house in order.  There would be a glaring "D" in the upper margins of having patience with my kids, or a foreboding message to "see me after class" from someone, somewhere, who was evaluating my performance and finding it lacking.

It happens.  Not everything is our best work.  Not everyday is our best day.  Sometimes we try hard and fall short.

On those days we need a person -- someone who's lived more years and can provide wise perspective -- to pull us aside and encourage us with the message that life will continue.  Yes, even if we don't get an "A" in whatever subject or task is at hand, life certainly will continue.