I was surprised by the envy I felt that day at the ocean. Not envy of the laughter and fun I witnessed going on all around me. Not envy of the skinny belly I have long since lost. Not envy of the youthful, magical days of being adolescent. I envied The Pelican. His long glide over the turning white-capped waves Hooked me. His quiet flight, the focus of his survival mission, His wings outstretched catching the lift from the breeze… The ocean crashing on and on fixed my attenti

This is the time of year juniors and seniors in high school start to feel an imbalanced amount of stress. “If I don’t get into X school, I won’t have a future!” …as though their grades and what college they attend determines all future happiness. They hunker down in anxiety, fixated on the process. Often parents respond as if their own future is at stake too. Stress feeds off of stress. It is imperative that we appropriately minimize the college acceptance hype. As adults, we