And yet she lives

I passed this tree many times, on my way to the nearby scout Camp Seminole. I assumed it was dead, and yet here it is!

I feel a bit the same; this semester I took my oral PhD comprehensive exams, then busted my arse on teaching and research, then proposed my dissertation just yesterday.

Aaaaand woke up today to attend my students' presentations at 8 am.

I am so very proud of my students. Semester after semester, I see them take on the researchers personas, first hesitantly, then with more and more conviction. It is a great pleasure to watch.