Back in 2018, I was finishing my final year of college.
It had been far from the best chapter of my life, so I did everything I could to graduate a semester early. I abandoned my plans to apply for a Fulbright scholarship and moved in with my parents temporarily.
Now that I look back on it, I realize that my horrible college experience — and decision to return home — was a blessing in disguise.
During that final semester, my family learned that my mom was very sick. We got the news in September, then lost her seven months later. Had I not moved back during that last semester, I might have had less time with my mom.
Around the time of her…
