Finding the good on my study break

The rain falls in a relaxed pitter-patter, and as I sit here at the kitchen table typing up a study guide for my online summer course, I think about how I'd very much prefer to be in bed, listening to the rain and dozing off with a book in my lap.

And then I remember there are girls in this world who would fight tooth and nail, even put their lives at risk to obtain the education I'm receiving. I realize I'm part of a small 7.8% of the world's population, ages 15 and over, who have completed a post-secondary education. And then I get to continue my education with a master's degree? Wow. I guess one positive of this study break is the good slap in the face I've received realizing how fortunate I am.

Sometimes it's the big things, like education, that remind us of the good in our lives. Then again, sometimes it's the little things:

Yes, reading in bed would have been nice, but if I hadn't been downstairs, I would have missed out on watching this little cutie nap.

It's good to realize how fortunate we are. It's even better to say a prayer and work for the good of those who are less fortunate. In doing so, we find the good in our lives and share it with others, and I can't think of a better scenario than that.

Pretty in Pink

One of the things I love about my father is that he is has a great enthusiasm for the most random things. Every time he drives past our old house in Tulsa, he tells me about how much the trees that he planted years before have grown. After he returned from a trip to Boston with my mother last year, he sat me down and showed me every single picture he took of every old building he saw in the city. Last night at about 8:30, he woke me up from a rather nice nap (I wasn't very amused) and told me to go look at the Full Pink Moon that was hanging in the sky; he thought it was pretty and didn't want me to miss out on seeing it. In hindsight, I'm so thankful he said something to me.

The Full Pink Moon is called so because of its color in the night sky during the month of April; apparently the name comes from the herb moss pink, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. As the moon rises, it loses its pink hue, but last night it continued to intrigue me far after it returned to its whiter shade. It was so clear and crisp, and the weather was perfect enough that I just sat with my head hanging out of my car, reveling in the beauty of its purity. It gave me such peace. The fact that this moon showed its face on the night of Good Friday made it that much more special, and gave me even more reason to be thankful for the beautiful gifts I've been given by a God who will never stop loving me. Between the significance of Good Friday itself, the thoughtfulness of my father, and the beauty of the Full Pink Moon, my night was one in which I was humbled and made peaceful by all my blessings.  

Passing headlights, with the moon in the distance.

Full Pink Moon between the trees.

Scrub-a-Dub

It's amazing what a much-needed shower can do for a person's attitude and energy level. Before I took one today, I thought I was going to pass out from a lack of sleep and a long day of driving. However, after I got out of the shower, I was in a considerably better mood, and was willing to drive an additional hour in the dark to make it back to school for a dance party (high priority is made for dance parties, because honestly, they're some of my favorite things).

For some people, the shower is where they do their best thinking. For me, it's a place to sing, or entertain the idea of sleeping. The latter option might sound weird, but the thought of curling up in the corner of my shower (at home of course, not in the Chi O...that would be awkward) with the hot water beating down on me is strangely appealing. Bad for the environment? Yes. Still tempting? Without a doubt.

Showers are great. Take them and people will appreciate your effort in the pursuit of good hygiene. Don't spend too much time in there, but appreciate the time as a respite from the hustle and bustle of life beyond the shower curtain. So go shower, friends! It does a body - and mind - good.

Ringing in Spring

Yes, I realize it's still winter. Having to wear two pairs of tights under jeans for an early morning jaunt to my 7:30 class is more than enough of an indicator that we have a few months before real spring weather arrives. However, the end of Christmas break doesn't have to be too depressing; there are so many good things to look forward to: a new semester, new classes, new friends, and for some of us, a new place to live as well!

If you've read my previous posts, you know my fall semester was rough. A wise woman told me, "Wait until spring," and now that it's here, I'm expecting all the good things that are supposed to come to me now that I've waited. After making it through four-fifths of syllabus week, I've decided that having a positive attitude about this semester is the smartest way to go. Things I'm looking forward to:

1. Initiation. Oh my stinking goodness, I'm so excited. I love my sisters and I can't wait to officially be a Chi Omega. As a sophomore, I think I'm even more excited to be initiated because I'll feel like I'm on a more level playing field with the girls in my grade. Also, two of my best friends from high school who are Chi Os are coming to my initiation. What could be better than that?! Nothing. I'm beaming just thinking about it.

2. No pomping. Reason Numero Uno why fall semester was such a drag. Don't get me wrong, I love that Oklahoma State holds America's Greatest Homecoming and that Chi O dominated everything in it, but suriously.........I was prepared to commit bodily harm against myself to get out of pomping hours. I am more than willing to wait another seven months before having to go through that again.

3. Spring is coming!! Yes, today's weather was awful. Yes, I hate winter. [NOTE: Don't resent/judge me if you like snow and think I'm a "snow hater." More likely than not, you're from Texas, where it barely ever snows, and you think it's great and pretty and fun when it snows. Awesome. Good for you. Go ahead and move to Nebraska and live there for six years and deal with winters where you can't see around the corners of street intersections because of snow drifts, and then tell me how you like snow.] But when spring semester starts, there is spring to look forward to! Beautiful flowers in the Library Garden, breaking out the Chacos, admiring people's tanned legs (I can't manage to get mine to do it, so I just gaze at other people's wistfully)...I just love the atmosphere. I can't wait until it's here.

4. Running outside again. I have my little route I run around campus, and I love it. Few things makes me happier than when we have a randomly warm day in the middle of December and I can run outside in a t-shirt and norts. However, one of the few things that does make me happier is when that weather comes, and it sticks around! In fall I know winter is coming, but in spring the warm weather has just begun. And as much as I adore the Colvin, running inside just isn't the same. The runner's high is wilder, freer, more joyful when it happens outside; I don't know why, but it just is. It's beautiful, and I can't get enough.

There are plenty of other things that make me excited for spring, but these are the ones that first come to mind. With the life and energy that spring brings, I'm smiling at the future, and hoping this will be the best semester yet.

Treadmill Musings

As I walked to the Colvin on this freezing cold night (why am I so dumb), I saw a boy in a short sleeve shirt walking with a girl. First thought: "He's going to die." Second thought: "Oh, it looks like she's wearing his jacket." (It swallowed her.)
This made me think about the fact that no boy has offered me his coat since fourth grade, and truth be told, the boy in question didn't even like me. (It was a hard realization; I was not-so-secretly in love with him, people made fun of me, he liked a girl in the grade above us, I was heartbroken, blah blah blah. He currently goes to OU, so I obviously I don't want him anymore.)
Then, to make myself feel better, I told myself that boys in Nebraska could never legitimately offer me their coats without risking death, seeing as an Omaha winter is truly the most depressing and bone-chilling experience known to man (or maybe just this writer).
In any case, I don't need a boy's coat because I'm smart enough to know that walking outside at 10:30 at night in December requires a coat.
So, in conclusion, wear your own coat because 1) if you don't have a boy, you're walking around in the dark with no company and no coat, and that's just dumb, and 2) if you have a boy and you wear his coat and he subsequently dies of pneumonia or hypothermia, you will no longer have a boy, and goodness knows that's a fate worse than death.
Oh gosh, sounds like the Colvin's closing. I guess I should get off the treadmill now.

Puppy Love

As Thanksgiving approaches and I'm driving Homaha with my grandparents (halleluuuuuuujah), I look at the little nugget of a pup that's sitting next to me in the back seat of the car, and I realize how grateful I am for her. When I think back on how she became my baby, I can't believe I've had the privilege of being her mom for nine years and a day.

I might sound like a crazy person for talking about Emma like this, but from the beginning she has been my dog, and mine alone. When she was a puppy, she looked like a little teddy bear. Incapable of putting her down, I would constantly carry her around like a baby and pet her tummy. Accustomed to being on her back all the time, when she got older she continued to lay on her back and "swim," waiting for people to scratch her stomach like I did when she was little. My brothers think it's stupid that she still does it as an adult, but I just smile, because it will always remind me of her baby days.

She's the one who barks when people yell my name, protects me from the vacuum cleaner that's obviously alive and out to get me, and cuddles with me on cold Nebraska nights. It's amusing to watch her herd my toddler cousins when her instincts kick in, and I love that every time I bathe her she scampers around the house afterwards like she's a puppy again.

She's quirky, but that's probably what makes us perfect for each other.

I am thankful for so many things, but today I remember to be thankful for the dog that's always been there for me. Now that she's getting older, I realize I may only have a few more years with her, and that scares me. This realization makes me even more thankful for the time I've had with her, and motivates me to never take her for granted.

Emma has taught me responsibility, has protected me, and has always been there when I needed a friend. She's the best first dog I could ever have, and I'll always love her.

Recharging the Batteries

Despite the fact that I still have four whole days left of school before Thanksgiving break, one single lit paper is the only thing that separates me from home in my mind. I can't wait.

I can't wait to drive into Omaha (probably met by dreary weather), pull into my driveway, run into my house and collapse on the couch, and revel in the complete happiness of being HOME. Not Tulsa-home, not back-in-my-dorm-room-home, but Homaha. Awful and miserable in winter, yes, but home to some of the most beautiful people in my life.

I can't wait to sit at the fireplace, eat home-cooked meals, and watch random episodes of Masterpiece Theatre with my mom. I can't wait to be terrorized by my brothers and run screaming through the house as they chase me for one reason or another (no, the dynamic hasn't changed since we were little). 

I can't wait to be in the arms of my best, sweetest, funniest friends. I'm ready for dancing and catching up and giggling in basements. I'm ready to not worry about classes or meetings or papers or grades. 

Sometimes you need a break from something to fully appreciate that you have it. I love this beautiful little place where I attend school, but I'm in dire need of a break. Going home will be the perfect way to recuperate before the last three weeks of the semester, and what makes me happy is the knowledge that when I return, despite a wonderful time at home, I'll be so thankful to be back.