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 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
Happy Friday!
If you're reading this, you survived part one of the holiday season, and that is awesome. Go get yourself something for making it this far.
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Boxing Day! Happy what ever you celebrate, if you celebrate this time of the year!
This is my last blog post of 2015. So, I would briefly like to reflect about what this blog has done for me, what I learned, what this writing means to me and for other people. Kerra (my current roommate and future housemate!) sort of inspired me with her own blog to create my own. It took awhile to get the general layout and sometimes the topics were a little hard for me. This blog taught me that the "best way to cure writer's block is to keeping on writing even if you end rambling about how your cat likes to meow at random objects." Okay, so that never happened to me (at least, not yet...), but the point still stands. Keep on writing even if it doesn't make much sense. Recently, a friend from high school and who I talk to on a semi-regularly basis in collage pointed something out to me about my last post. He sent me the actual quote I was referring to, and he thanked me for writing my posts. Starting out (and for the future), I didn't care how much my posts were read; all I cared about is being able to write what happens to be on my mind that week. Thank you from my heart for reading! It means so much to me.
Yes, as the title suggests, I turned 20 on Monday. When friends and family ask me what I want for Christmas and my birthday, I never know what to say because I have everything I need/want: supportive, loving, sarcastic family and friends. The rest is replaceable if lost or destroyed, but the wonderful people in my life are not. From birth, to age 10, to age 20 (respectively), there have been many people coming and going from my life and there are many people in my life consistently and there are many people in my life currently. I'm grateful for each and everyone of them because they have knowingly or unknowingly shaped who I am today. Thank you, everyone.
With 2015 coming to a close and 2016 looming around the corner, many people are split: reminiscing all the good and bad about the year and looking ahead to the new year for all the changes we wish to implement. I don't think we think how much we do this. Perhaps you realized you aren't happy with the way you look, so you decide you want to eat better or walk 20 minutes in the morning. Perhaps you realized you haven't enjoyed the smaller and often go unnoticed moments, so you decide to slow down and take a deep breath of everyday life.
Reminiscing and looking ahead is in itself a paradox. Usually we do either one or another. For some, we live our lives always looking ahead or always looking behind or some even live their lives looking ahead to keep up and only looking back for guidance or past experience when we need advice. No matter how you live your life, it's almost impossible to not think about the past and look forward around the holidays.
My challenge for you is to stick to your resolutions for more than just 2 weeks and incorporate the change into your day-to-day life.
Until next time,
Thought of the day
Happy Friday!
and
Happy Early Halloween!
It is Friday once again. Treat yourself with a candy bar in the spirit of Halloween! There is much I have to catch everyone up on so I will get right to it.
Last Friday, if you didn't know, I got my two wisdom teeth taken out, and I'm still having a little pain or soreness. I have been telling people that I made it through the worst of the pain, and now it's lessening a little bit each day (depending if I took any pain medication...) with the help of ice packs and heated rice socks. Progress!
Today a supervisor of mine retired. Sue Olive, with 37 years (right down to the day) of work, is officially retired. Since I'm better with typing or writing my thoughts, I'll share my thoughts and wishes this way. The first thing we bonded over (that I can remember) was breast cancer. She is a survivor and so is my mom. From then on, we talked about food (specifically ham salad!) and oldies music. I will miss her smiling face and unique laugh and hearing stories about her grandkids.
I wish you all the best, Sue! Enjoy those adorable grandkids of yours, and come by often (on weekends I'm working, obviously) to catch up!
My aunt Jan Racine turns 60 (I mean 25) today! Even though there are 225 miles (it's accurate, I checked) between us and we haven't seen each other in a while, it doesn't change the love and respect I have for you. It just makes the time I do get to spend with you all the more precious to me. You are one of the many people who helped me when I was a struggling college freshman. Thank you for all the love, all the support, all the advice, and all the things I've learned from you.
I hope you enjoyed the day doing anything and everything you wanted to do because you do so much for others and you deserve it. Happy birthday!
This post's topic hit me when I was in my Russia/Soviet Union class yesterday. We talked about Leo Tolstoy's short story [K]Holstomer: A Story of a Horse. There is a part in the story, told from a horse's point of view, that talked about the humans needed to have many things, be able to call things and animals "mine", and talk means more than actions. Tolstoy hit the the center of what is still in today's society. He knew this and pointed it out.
Let's take a step back. Am I saying this applies to all human beings? Of course not. A huge majority in society today still believes, whether they will admit to it or not:
- getting more and more things makes you happier
- talking means more than actions
- having more "possessions" makes you grander and/or lofty
Growing up I was taught: actions say more than words ever will; things don't make a person; and possessions will only satisfy you for only so long. Those are lessons that are tested almost every day. I need to remind myself I might wish I had the 'in' clothes, shoes, accessories, and etc, but I know that's not what matters. People can have all "that" but not a good work ethic or a kind heart or a honest tongue; than all those "things" mean nothing.
"You can talk for hours and it won't mean much." Talk is cheap. That's how the saying goes. It may be cliché, but it's an honest one. People can say one thing but immediately contradict it with their actions. When it is said, "People lie," they don't always mean with only words. Saying one thing but doing something to directly contradict it? That's a form a lying that doesn't get much notice. Actions matter. Sure, to a certain extent, words matter. But you aren't going to remember what someone told you if you had a bad day; you're are more likely to remember if someone hugged you, or gave you a shoulder to cry on when you needed it the most. We don't always need words; sometimes we need someone to just be there.
I can't remember the exact amount, but someone who make/has above a certain amount of money aren't any happier than someone who is struggling to get by. This is something that shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Money's value can only go so far. It can't buy you true friends or a loyal significant other. If you are able to buy that, it's conditional and it won't be dependable.
In the long run, money won't mean anything in the end.
In the long run, possessions won't mean anything in the end.
In the long run, words won't mean anything in the end.
The only things that will matter in the end is the people who stuck by you through it all, and the things you did for others without expecting anything in return.
Until next week,
Thought of the day
