Happy Sunday/Monday/Independence Day
It's almost the 4th of July. Exactly 6 minutes until the day. I know this post is a little late. Well, you see, when I got home to visit, I try to stay off my laptop as much as possible because it's a nice break from technology and I find I focus on my family and spending time with them. Right now, mostly everyone are asleep and I finally figured out what I wanted to write about. I know. My brain is fascinating, getting writing ideas and fuel for my post at ten minutes to midnight. Perfect timing. Not really, but you know, when the opportunity strikes, I must take advantage. My fellow writers out there can (maybe) concur.
If you are traveling, drive smart and safely. If you're setting up a fireworks display, please be careful. If you are camping or planning on any other recreational activities, please wear sunscreen (if outside) and reapply as much as possible and enjoy the uncommonly cooler weather for the 4th of July.
Before I got into my post, I wanted to give a couple of birthday shoutouts to a couple of firecracker babies.
First, my brother's godson, Joseph, turned 1 today. I can't wait to see you grow even more. It makes me smile to see your sometimes goofy, but always handsome face. He probably gets that from his mom. Kidding...or am I?
Second, to a very special person in my life and on very special day. Courtney, happy 21st birthday. I'm sorry we couldn't spend the day together, but I look forward to celebrating with you the next time we get together! I'm so glad that whatever force (I believe God had a hand or two in it) lead me to live across the hall from you this past year. It allowed me to come to know you and how beautiful, kind, funny, smart, caring, and wonderful blessing you truly are in my life. Thank you for being there when I needed to vent, let out my worries, laugh until my gut hurts, and sticking by me. You deserve to have a great day!
Dear America (and my fellow Americans),
First and foremost, happy birthday! Even though, you are still a young country in comparison to other countries, you have come a long ways from where you started.
Thank you for fighting the oppressors and earning our independence and title as a free country. An example you became (and still are) to be proof that a democratic republic can hold up and succeed. An example where there is such a place to have basic freedoms that other countries deny to their people. How you allow and welcome people from other countries with the open arms of Lady Liberty in New York Harbor.
As we settled in, we began noticing cracks in the foundation on which you stand. It nearly broke the nation in two. With the determination of many people, we were able to come back together as a country and began rebuilding the country. Of course, this issue is still seen today. It may be hard to believe, but it is most likely true. There's still a long way to go, but I know that when come together as a whole, a united front, there's not much that can hold us back.
Since then, we have seen our country come together time and time again to fight for what we believe in, to fight so that the countless innocent and brave lives did not die in vain, to fight for good to keeping prevailing over the evil in the world, to fight for those who cannot fight, to fight to set an example for those younger generations that we must never give up and to continue to hope and to have the will to keep carrying on even when the going is tough.
I must point out that we have many hurtles in our way. Differences to look past. History to move on from. We are not running a sprint; we're running a marathon. Segregation and hatred towards most, or if not all, minority groups. Childish fighting in congress and between political parties. This country was built on the principle that this is a place, a refuge even, to those different than us. Accepting others' differences is hard. But it's key to surviving as a country.
Sincerely and thankfully,
A fellow American
Until next week,
Thought of the day
Happy Saturday!
My fellow readers! I hope you survived okay this week and yesterday especially. Walking home from work yesterday was hot and humid but luckily the wind blew just enough to make the 18 some minutes bearable. And today it seems to be the same case. So, if you are going outside and will be out for a good chunk of time, please, please, stay hydrated and cool as you can. Also, this shouldn't need saying but it seems to happen every year around this time, please don't keep little kids and pets inside cars when it is this hot and humid out.
I want to give a little shout out to my fellow library co-workers for surviving the first week with a new system to check in/out books, etc. I know it's still new and challenging and patience-testing, but we can do this (with the aid of chocolate). Also, it was quite the surprise to see Ciara, a past library co-worker, yesterday! I literally jumped out of my chair to go give her a (running) hug. So this week was balanced out well.
Here's the link to my latest Odyssey article: College Students During Summer, As Told By Jimmy Fallon.
Life is short. We know this. Or at least we think we know it. When we lose someone close to us and while we are in mourning, we are reminded of an absolute, one of the few things life can guarantee. Life is short. No matter what we do to make us live just a little bit longer, life finds a way. As morbid as that might seem, it's the truth.
But the tricky thing life does, or maybe we do it to ourselves, we find a way out of our sadness and continue to live with the loss. We get lost in our routine of our day to day life, and somehow we forget or take for granted the things and people we love most in our lives. And without meaning to, we let ourselves get comfortable again.
Until it happens again. Someone close to us is taken from us and in some way it remind us of our own mortality. That just like your loved one, your life can end just like their's did. And we repeat the process over again. Now, I'm not trying how to live your life. Life is short, and we can't let routine fool us into forgetting the life is short.
Rest in peace, Christina Grimmie
Happy Friday!
The image I chose, a gif, specifically, perfectly describes how I felt walking out of work today and I'm sure others felt the same way. I probably could have actual ran but I just got off after working a 9-hour day and, boy, I was ready for my 3-day weekend. With that being said, I hope everyone the best in regards to any traveling or camping. Stay safe and enjoy, and for most of you all, the day off. I do realize that some people don't have the luxury to have Memorial Day off, so be courteous to others who might be required to work.
Here's the link to my latest Odyssey article: To The People Who Don't Feel Enough.
Before I get on with my post for the week, I wanted to give a birthday shout-out to a couple of important people. One being my second-oldest cousin on my dad's side of the family: Sam Curtis. Happy birthday! I hope you enjoyed it! Maybe we can to get together sometime soon. And the other being my aunt Debbie. Happy birthday, Aunt Debbie! I hope you spent the day enjoyably surrounded by loved ones.
Memorial Day is, anymore, became a holiday whose meaning gets overlooked. For many, people look forward to the barbecuing, bonfires, spending time with loved ones, baseball, and etc. It's like the official kickoff to summer. But that's not the meaning of the holiday. That's not why we celebrate it.
It's not even a happy holiday, so to speak. The meaning behind this day is quite sad actually. Memorial Day is a holiday dedicated to those military members killed in actions. That's why it's called "memorial", as in "memory", for those who laid down their lives to protect us, to protect what this country stood and continues to stand for, to protect the freedom we have to live each day knowing that there are brave men and women out there fighting for us.
Thank you, brave men and women across America. Thank you for putting your country before yourself. Thank you for putting everyday people, like myself, before yourself. Thank you for being brave and tough and doing what you think needs to be done to protect this country and what it stands for. Thank you for sacrificing time with your loved ones, like friends and family, to fight and defend. Thank you for your service.
Until next week,
Thought of the day
Happy Sunday!
and
Happy Mother's Day!
I started this post on Friday and had all the intentions of working on it at work since the semester is over and we wouldn't be too busy, but there were many books to get ready to shelve.
Oh boy! This post is late. In my defense, I have had a busy weekend. Friday, I moved out out my room and played Tetris to get everything to fit into my car. Thank you shout-out to Bradley for helping me! I headed home after work to spend time with family was home for the weekend. Saturday, I got to see my sister and her boyfriend graduate from Upper Iowa, and while I spent the day up there, I unfortunately got a sunburn. Sunday, or today, it's Mother's Day and my sister's 24th birthday so we went in to my grandma's to spend the day with her and my other relatives.
This week I'll be staying with my cousin and his girlfriend while the house I'm leasing with 3 other girls is being cleaned. Next Monday, I can move into the house! I'm excited for what this has in store for me!
Here's the link to my latest Odyssey article: To My Mom On Her Birthday.
As for this week's post, I'm thinking it will be a short post because I'm exhausted from all the excitement. I just wanted to congratulate my sister and her boyfriend on graduating from college this weekend, again. I'm completely proud of them both.
Today is also Mother's day. I just wanted to send a thank you to mothers for everything they have done, continue to do, and will do in the future. This goes out to all mothers who are with us on Earth and those who've passed on something else. This also applies to mothers who come in many different forms and don't necessarily have to be related by blood.
Until next week,
Thought of the day
