Rain hammered against the dorm windows, drumming a frantic rhythm as though echoing the tension in my chest. Exams loomed, assignments piled high, and my friendships were suddenly more complicated than I anticipated. Lydia and Tasha had been joking about weekend plans, oblivious to the tutoring session I had promised myself. Samuel, ever earnest, seemed frustrated that I couldn't join him for a study group.
I felt pulled in every direction, each expectation pressing against me like heavy raindrops. Normally, this would have triggered panic or withdrawal, but something in me had shifted. I took a deep breath and reminded myself: I cannot control their choices, only mine.
I sought refuge in the campus chapel. Kneeling on the cold floor, I whispered a prayer, letting the storm outside mirror the one inside me. "God, give me clarity. Let me see who I am, not just who others expect me to be."
Later, in the library, Samuel and I tackled our study notes together. He paused mid-problem, looked at me, and said, "I know it's a lot, Annie, but you handle everything with… grace. How do you do it?"
I smiled, closing my notebook. "I don't always, Samuel. But I try to focus on what I can do and let go of the rest."
By evening, I returned to my dorm, soaked but steady. The storm had passed outside, leaving puddles glinting like tiny mirrors of light. Inside me, I realized storms were inevitable, but shelter was not always a place—it was the strength and faith I carried within myself.