Family, Turkey, and Apple Crisp

Well of course today is Thanksgiving, and that means, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, ham, and whatever else people make in their families. For us that is pumpkin pie, brownies, and my mom’s famous apple crisp. (It’s the best ever and no one can change that!J) Today is a day to give thanks, spend time with family and eat! (lol) More importantly though it is about family and giving thanks for what we do have and not envying what we don’t. I am so very thankful for the family and friends that I do have during the holidays and all year long. Yes there are plenty of loved ones that I have lost and that are not here in human form, but I know that they are here with me each and everyday in my heart and all around. Yes I do miss them all but who wouldn’t? Although I miss them, I try so hard to remember that I need to not take for granted who is still here. We have our traditions of certain food or certain things we do for each holiday, but that is special for us, because then it’s “just a family thing.” I am so glad that my family has traditions that we get together with extended family and have dinner together. Then afterwards who knows, maybe some playing hide and go seek, movies, talking, or on occasions karaoke (ha-ha that’s a fun one)! No matter what we do it’s the fact that we get together and spend time with each other! The time we have with each other is more precious then we know and we have to be thankful for it each and everyday!

“It isn’t what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.”

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”

“Be careful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

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A Tree of Hearts

Going to class today I saw a tree on campus with leaves that looked like hearts. A whole tree full of leaf looking hearts! I thought it was so awesome looking at a whole tree full of hearts. Then as I kept walking it made me smile and I looked at the ground and there lying was one of the leaves. This one looked like the others and was mostly yellow, but as I looked at it, it was not exactly the same as the other ones were. This one leaf lying alone, among no others was turning brown, had been stepped on and mutilated by shoes. I thought for a second and was like that leaf on the ground is me! Alone, amongst none of the others, and getting hurt because it was away from the rest. I began to think even more. The tree was like my family, my friends, and all the people I know and care about me, but I wasn’t with them. I had left to try to find “me” without other people trying. I wanted to go on my own without the help of others and find my own way. This leaf was wearing down, broken, torn, and becoming more fragile as a stared at it. I felt the pain of that leaf because I felt my pain. Looking at that leaf made me realize that I can’t do it all on my own and that every one needs help sometimes, even it is just trying to “find themselves again.” Then I began thinking even more about this leaf and the tree of them. We all fall sometimes, and when the leaves turn their brilliant colors and God paints his creation with this beauty, they don’t last forever. We have our moments just like the leaves do, but at the end of the season they all fall. We all end up like the lonely leaf in the end, but it’s because we all have our moments. We are all beautiful creations from God and we all fail sometimes, and feel down and lonely but it’s those moments when the people we love and who love us in return fall with us. Those are the true hearts that we see all around us everyday!

Instead of a regular quote I decided on a bible verse and some lyrics to one of my favorite songs

“1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8-

EMERSON DRIVE: MOMENTS
I was coming to the end of a long long walk When a man crawled out of a cardboard box Under the E. Street Bridge Followed me on to it I went out halfway across With that homeless shadow tagging along So I dug for some change Wouldn't need it anyway He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed He said, You know, I haven't always been this way I've had my moments, days in the sun Moments I was second to none Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do Like that plane ride coming home from the war That summer my son was born And memories like a coat so warm A cold wind can't get through Lookin' at me now you might not know it But I've had my moments I stood there tryin' to find my nerve Wondering if a single soul on Earth Would care at all Miss me when I'm gone That old man just kept hanging around Lookin' at me, lookin' down I think he recognized That look in my eyes Standing with him there I felt ashamed I said, You know, I haven't always felt this way I've had my moments, days in the sun Moments I was second to none Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do Like the day I walked away from the wine For a woman who became my wife And a love that, when it was right, Could always see me through Lookin' at me now you might not know it But I've had my moments I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight That old man tells his story one more time He says I've had my moments, days in the sun Moments I was second to none Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge When a young man almost ended it I was right there, wasn't scared a bit And I helped to pull him through Lookin' at me now you might not know it Oh, lookin' at me now you might not know it But I've had my moments

When it rains it really does pour

Why is it way too true that “when it rains it pours”? This past week was going so well until it got be Wednesday, and then the stress started piling on. I had a paper due on Thursday, an advising meeting, a football banquet, and two exams today that I had not had any time to study for until last night. So I had my paper in by when it was due and then had to go to my advising meeting. I get to my meeting and I thought I had had everything all written down and figured out for the next 3 semesters, and my advisor tells me I probably can’t graduate on time. I’m like what? You have to be kidding me?! I was fighting off tears. So I finally get done there and leave, go back to my room and get ready to go home when a friend txt me and asked if I had a book finished and if I was going to our group meeting. I said no I can’t make it, and then of course I was already so stressed I ended up saying things I completely regretted. So then we basically got into a fight. :-\ Then I get home and my mom and I walk in the front door and my cat is taking her last breathes lying in the middle of the living room floor. At this point I have dinner to make for a football banquet, 2 exams to study for, and my cat is taking her last breaths. So my cat dieing was just the icing to the cake. I finally just lost it and broke.

Why do we get so overwhelmed in society today that we just hold it back till it cracks and then explodes? Getting to this point made me feel like crap because I couldn’t pull myself together. The thing I kept trying to tell myself was that it’s not all worth getting stressed over. Yes it was a crappy and very overwhelming day, but I guess If we didn’t have days like this then we wouldn’t appreciate or know how lucky we were on the days that are relaxing and calm. It’s just tough because when you are going through it, it feels like things can’t get any worse. Unfortunately that is usually wrong!

“Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet”

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