Man. It’s been one of those days. No, it’s been one of those weeks.

Actually, December has just been one of those months now that I think about it. The first half of the month consists of pushing the snowball uphill. Or in some cases, up the side of a mountain.

The first week of December, we still jiggle with extra Thanksgiving pounds, and might spend a few nights at the gym. You also start wearing sweatpants tucked into boots on the regular. Everyone does it, it’s fine.

The second week of December is when you start bringing the same mug of coffee everywhere and wearing gloves when you drive in the morning to avoid touching the iced-over leather steering wheel. But it’s pretty hard to taste burning hot coffee when your nose is stuffed and leaking at the same time.

Not to fear, because right around this time, the third week, the peak is in sight. Once you give that snowball the final push, it’ll tumble over the edge. Finals are wrapping up, you have a list of plans for holiday break, and you just know your man Santa is gonna come through and get you that $400 dollar hover-board.

But, then you have to make two more balls of snow to complete the snowman.

This realization hit me like a train today, beginning around 6 am. I started my lovely morning by hitting the snooze, hacking up something unspeakable, then hauling my tired ass out of bed. At breakfast, I turned my back for literally .4 of a second, and the blender leaked my kale and spinach smoothie onto the granite countertop. Rushing out the door after making the dog lick up the green puddle, I forgot my coffee, my 7:30 am meeting, hit every red light, and got frostbite from the drive to school.

I think my snowball slipped downhill a little today.

After a test, a paper, and a major lack of caffeine, I noticed it was beginning to snow. Not the “light-fluffy-beautiful-snow-angel” kind either. Nope, this was the “I’m-going-to-make-the-roads-as-slippery-as-possible-so-you-have-to-stay-home-and-do-nothing-all-weekend” kind of snow. Oh, the joy.

But, after two breakdowns full of hysterics, tears, and tissues, I decided that it’s fine.

I’m fine.

Because I can see the top of the hill now, and I’ve almost made it.

Sometimes, God makes the roads icy so that we can stop rushing around all the damn time, forgetting our coffees and getting frostbite.

So I’m using this little unplanned break to recover from my mental instability, and push that snowball over the edge. I have presents to wrap, books to write, plans to make, and snowmen to build.

Yours truly,

Maddie Rheinheimer