If you haven’t noticed… it’s February! The shortest month of the year. It also marks the 6-month mark of your exchange experience. But a short month doesn’t mean an unimportant month! February always starts with an odd American tradition called Groundhog Day on February 2. Punxsutawney Phil who lives in Pennsylvania is a famous groundhog that is believed to predict the start of the spring season. Stemming from a German superstition, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow in the ground and sees his shadow, then winter will last for 6 more weeks; if not, then an early spring is coming. Despite being disproved by science, the tradition continues with many Americans watching what groundhog Phil does on February 2. And in case you’re wondering, Phil didn’t see his shadow in 2024, so spring is coming soon!
The past couple weeks also had us celebrating several other classic American experiences. Did you catch them all? Of course, there was the Super Bowl, where more than one third of Americans watched the exciting face-off between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Even if American football is not your interest, I hope that at least you enjoyed the snacks that come with the big game and watched the funny commercials! Then we jumped into Valentine’s Day, the day Americans spend $25,000,000,000 on 500 million cards, and 50 million cards and gifts are given to “special loved ones,” including our pets, friends, and family members. And lastly, we had a 3-day holiday weekend to celebrate President’s Day, commemorating America’s iconic presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
February is a great month to review the goals that you set for this school year. There’s still time to focus on improving a course grade, try a new hobby or activity, or befriend a classmate. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “He (GOD) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Remember, counting time is not as important as making the time count!
“In the tapestry of time, we are each woven with purpose.”
