A Quarter of a Century--and Counting

I can't leave for the night without reviewing how lovely and amazing the past few days have been. My birthday was Thursday (the 23rd)--my 25th birthday. It was a little bit of a shock to my system to realize that I've reached this age, especially as a LUL summer staffer (Tessa) turned twenty on Thursday as well. Tessa was celebrating the demise of her teenage years while I sat thinking about how long ago twenty seems to have been for me. So much has happened in the past five years that have shaped me into someone I never dreamed of becoming.

As I celebrated my birthday throughout the week, I realized how many loving, caring, amazing people I am surrounded by. They are family friends who've known me since birth, new friends that I've met at NGU; they are family, and they are like family; they are mentors and counselors; they are listeners. They are mine--and I am blessed continually by them, through them, and because of them.

The first great birthday treasure I received was from someone who has pushed, prodded, encouraged, and inspired me through my four years at NGU. Dr. Drummond called me Wednesday morning (yes, a day early) to sing "Happy Birthday" to me. (Mind you, the woman hates singing, so I must be very special!).

On Thursday, I worked breakfast and Lunch at LUL. Every year during the week in which my birthday falls, a certain church rents the camp. And every year they (all 350 of them) wish me a "Happy Birthday." This year was no different as 50 Carmelites sang to me at breakfast and 200 Carmelites sang to me at lunch. I used to hate it, but I'm kind of used to it now. If you've never had hundreds of people sing to you on your birthday, you should find a way to make it happen--it's pretty cool. Anna B. also brought me Reese's Pieces and cupcakes at lunch. She's such a sweetie!

Thursday night, Jess, Dr. Thompson (another driving force behind my success at NGU), and I went to World Market before meeting Harvin, Haley, and Mom for dinner at P.F. Chang's. We had an awesome time of fellowship around the table--complete with flowers from Mom shielding our views of one another and Jimmy the balloon (courtesy of Dr. Thompson) swaying high above our heads, announcing to everyone the reason for our celebration. After dinner (which was delicious!), I got to open gifts from Harvin and Haley (Harry Potter in IMAX 3D in Massachusetts!) and Dr. T (which included a moment that Jess will NEVER let Dr. T and me live down!). And, oh how I love musical cards--even though I had to wait to hear it at home--too much noise pollution in the restaurant. After leaving P.F. Chang's, we went downtown for fro-yo from Blueberry Frog. On the way home, Dr. T and I had an exciting on-the-verge-of-hysterical discussion of the places Harvin, Haley, and I will visit on our trip later next week. To have a conversation with someone who really understands the magic of this trip is priceless. All in all, it was the perfect ending to a pretty perfect day.

Friday was a LONG workday, but Saturday was "only a day away."

Jess, Kick, JP, and I drove to Columbia to meet Morgan and Luke to go to the zoo. It was bloody hot, so we went through quickly, headed to the mall, ate lunch, and did a little shopping--mostly to put off the parting of ways. It's always sad to see the Georgetown kids head home, because it usually means we won't see them for another six months at minimum.


Long story, short: my birhtday was incredible. I'm just not so sure about the whole quarter-of-a-century milestone. But more on that later.

G'night!

A Poor Excuse

Okay, so I suck at posting regularly. Want an excuse? Camp is taking every bit of energy I have this year--but I say that every year, don't I?

Whatever. If there's one thing I really need to learn, it is that I will never be perfect--at ANYTHING. Perfectionism rules me sometimes. I can't start a task because I'm afraid I can't complete it without blemish. I try to do everything myself because others may not do so and so like I would. Lucky for me, God can overlook my OCD control issues. Now, if only I could learn to do the same. Well, maybe I should learn to RELAX a bit, let go a bit, instead of overlooking said issues.


Anyway, I'm hoping (AGAIN!!!) that I will use this outlet as I continue my journey through the crazy-beautiful intricacies of life. And maybe, just maybe, my upcoming trip to Boston will prompt me to do so.

Distracted & Disconnected

A commitment to write, huh?

Four and a half months later, I'm back after falling into an endless state of distraction. I've felt disconnected. Has it shown? Survival mode shifted into overdrive. My motto became "just push through this," a phrase my mind left on repeat. I lost touch, but I wore the mask, as Paul Lawrence Dunbar's poem "We Wear the Mask" illustrates.

I haven't written as a means of catharsis in ages--and I feel it in my soul. I've got to make time for this outlet.

The past months have been fraught with good days, bad days, and those pesky in-between days (perhaps the worst with an ambivalent aura about them). I've learned a lot, but have yet multitudes more to learn. For the beginning of my return to writing I will review the time that has passed. Hopefully, the review will bring back a fresh perspective, new lessons, and a chance to make sense of life's distractions.