Broken mugs, broken dreams

I remember many years ago, I was in the kitchen with Emak (Mum) washing dishes after lunch. Suddenly, my Cambridge mug (with all the colleges' logos printed on it) fell and broke.

Me: Oh no, I really love this mug! I bought it in Cambridge...
Emak: It's ok... When you study in Cambridge, you can buy lots of mugs to replace this one.
Me: But Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world... it's so hard to get in...
Emak: Have you even applied? Then how do you know you won't get in?

Oh Emak, you're always encouraging and confident of my abilities! When she passed away, and when my medical school dream seems so unattainable, I remember the broken mug conversation and applied for the PhD programme at Cambridge. But alas... I received the rejection email last night :(

Shocked, sad and disappointed. I was eagerly looking forward to learn under my supervisor Dr Tim Harper. I was so excited about the dissertation that I wanted to do. Oh well, no new mugs for me now. I guess I'll have to pick up those broken pieces and think...