gooseTwo things happened yesterday that I choose to interpret as a hopeful sign. The first is that I completed the second draft of my dissertation. My advisor put the brakes on my first draft on February 17 and told me to go back to my data, reshuffle the content, and add at least two chapters that explain my methodology, design, and coding process more thoroughly. That sent me scrambling and I have been reprocessing the whole project ever since. I put the final touches of the new and improved version of the dissertation early yesterday and emailed it to her. I’m not going to get excited yet, but the bulk of the work is done.

Then, I went for a walk. That is when the second thing happened. The geese are back and greeted me along the path that runs behind the shopping center. This is significant because last year at this time I began writing about the geese on this path as part of my research project. I tracked their progress throughout the course of the year and blogged about it. To see them return, on the same morning that I finished the paper, was a sign of hope for me.

Easter is one week away. We still have to pass through the horror of Passion Week (or, as my son called it yesterday: Hell Week). Jesus will lead us to the cross. We will witness his closest friends betray him, the crowd turn on him, and the power structures crush him. All will seem lost. But then, the new light dawns. Resurrection happens. We push “restart” on life. Hope is born.

The geese are back and life continues.

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