This morning, I woke up, got ready to go to Harris Hall to study, and was out the door without a second thought. Simple, I do this everyday.

I had a seamless morning routine, no delays, no setbacks, no moments of overthinking, I just got ready in one fluid motion. While this isn't rare, I was recall a year ago when I prayed for days like this - and was thankful.

I headed outside to go to school and the weather was lovely, the climate a warm 68 degrees, the breeze was strong enough to take solace in, and it was exactly the right amount of sun. It was mostly covered but you could see light breaking through the clouds, teasing you with the its radiant upcoming unveiling.

The world felt at peace and in turn I felt it too.

On my ten minute walk to the hall, I saw two groups of elementary kids, just heading out to recess. I remember when that was the best part of my day. I loved being that young, innocent, pure.

Then I saw some middle school kids in between classes, their internal banter and chatter in full swing, and you could see the sub divisions of personality and birth of free thinking flickering across each face. I remember being so confused, worried, and how scary it was to make some connections to who I was. It was so much to process but I just had to wait for the rest of my mind and body to catch up. Thankfully they did, for the most part.

I crossed the street and passed by the high schoolers, some running late to class, others in a group comparing notes, and some just talking to their closest friends. They seemed to have a pretty good awareness of their current selves, but they haven't yet seen all that life is. They were comfortable, almost too comfortable. Every day was structured to a T, there was no room for questions, no room for doubt, and most things made sense. Well, except when something deviated from the norm, came out of nowhere, and felt like the end of the world. Puberty wracked my body and contorted my self esteem into quite a sight. Love, or maybe infatuation, possibly obsession, came and went at expedited speeds and hurt a hundred times worse than conceived, and everyone I held close left me abandoned me without notice.

That experience feels so recent to me, maybe the scars haven't fully healed. I've gone and sewed myself up. The wounds are closed. Now I'm letting time do its thing and I think the pain doesn't hurt like it used to.

My phone buzzes and I look down to see a picture of my older cousin holding a baby. I almost trip. The revelry of procreation and reproduction. It's not as far off of an occurrence as I thought. The same kid that I spent most christmases and summers in Florida playing basketball with, just created life. What a thought.

Finally, I get the building into my sights. I'm almost there. I look over to see an older couple, walking hand in hand, slowly taking in the scenery of a place that I walk into daily. They're just looking and living in silence. Wrinkles grace their smile lines, bags darken their eyes, grey hairs sprout from their scalp, outnumbering their dark counterparts. This picture leaves me dumbfounded. I've arrived at the door of my destination, but I find that my feet came to a halt. I take a second to observe the assuredness of every step they take.

They just look so tranquil, at peace with the life they've lived so far, and just happy to be walking together through the massive display of gothic architecture that casually lines the walls of my palace of edification and exasperation.

I glance over to see the cherry blossom tree that resides adjacent to the hall in full bloom. Magnificent. Its beauty is worth the time. It would be a crime not to revel in its majesty and watch in awe how wonderfully it was made. To watch as its numerous petals, that weren't there yesterday, dare me to study every facet of them and to watch as they fly away in the wind. Cautioning me to breathe and take in the life around me because it is as fleeting as it is fair.

After a moment, I turn and finally enter to my destination a last. I make my way up the familiar steps and hear the echoing bellow of my humming cascade around its isolated walls. I open the door to find my friends coexisting and elating in the presence of one another. I take my place among them, but for a moment I reflect on the ten minutes of my journey to the hall, and on my journey to my current reality.

In just ten minutes, I witnessed of every stage of my life. Stages that have long passed and those yet to come. It was like walking through a vision of what could be and remembering all that has been. From birth, to confusion, to comfortability, to downfall, to loss, to healing, to thriving, to challenges, to growth, to realization, to more pain, to procreation, to love, to aging, to peace, to death in an endless cycle.

What a pleasure to see and experience the life around me and relate it to my own. This reflective walk reminded me of all that I've been through, my current place in life, and the direction of my life in the future.

Past. Present. Future.