When I look back on my life there are a few things that I hope to remember about my life and my actions.
1-That I always do what is right.
2-That I always treat people the way I wish to be treated.
3-That I always do everything in my power to reach my goals.
4-That I always remember to enjoy my life.
This last week Item One has been front and center on my mind. I wish I could disclose the exact situation, however, some degree of confidentiality has to be maintained in a situation like this.
I have been struggling back and fourth about whether to speak up about something that I believe is right. Chances are, that the situation will pass and it will not even be given a second thought, however, in my mind, if I didn't speak up I will always know that I really should have. So, I'm going to.
When I sat down to write this blog I was really planning on writing more about the situation I had going on in my life. As I began typing, I realized that's not the important issue here. The issue is that I need to know who I am as a person. That answer is that I do what is right, every time. I treat people how I want to be treated, I work hard, and I do not have regrets.
The real thing I'm saying here is--I'm really glad that I know who I am, and I'm really glad that when I look back on this situation I'll know that I stood up and did what was right.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
"Welcome Back, Here's a Bookmark!"
I should really probably focus my blogs more, I'm really all over the board but today's blog is serious. Sometimes you have a take a moment to be thankful, that is what today is about.
My parents decided when I was in the 8th grade that it would be a brilliant idea for them to move to the country where my brother and I would attend a small country school. Basically they wanted to become Amish is what I pictured in my mind (not joking). We would have so many opportunities, the education would be better, we wouldn't get involved with kids we shouldn't. Those assumptions may or may have been correct.
On my very first day of my Freshman year of High School (arguably the most awkward time in my life) I started a new school, in a town I didn't even want to be living in. My dad dropped me off near the front entrance where (what seemed like at the time) there were hundreds of kids standing. Later I realized that my horrified eyes had multiplied the crowed of newbies by probably 100. I was just standing there looking around and thinking about whether I could run fast enough to jump in the bed of my dad's truck and would he notice if I just stayed there all day. Right as I'm choking back the tears that I did NOT want to come in front of all these kids who were gossiping about what they did over the summer, some girl with a ponytail high on top of her head, wearing a cheerleading uniform and probably the biggest smile I've ever seen comes up and says " Hi! Welcome back, Here's a Bookmark." At that very moment I relaxed and little and thought, well at least there is one nice person here.
After a few months I had settled in pretty well, and I ended up meeting Ms. Cheerleader. Turns out she was a few years older than me and involved in many of the same activities I wanted to be involved in. On several occasions she encouraged me to step up or nominated me to be in charge of different things. I had a great high school career, I was involved in many activities and left there with tons of friends. Ms. Cheerleader ended up graduating and going off to college. We really didn’t talk much to each other over the next few years.
Fast forward to my senior year of high school. I run in to her at Wal-Mart and she asks where I’m going to college. Turns out she was going to Mizzou too. She gave me all kinds of tips right there in the middle of Wal-Mart and told me about some organizations to get involved with. She gave me her phone number and said if I ever needed anything to let her know. I ended up seeing her a few times on campus and encouraged me to get involved with a Co-Ed Fraternity on campus. She introduced me to a few people in the organization and then I joined. To this day the people I met there are some of my very best friends.
After a long series of events we found out that we were both working at the same company and started keeping more in touch through email and messenger etc. She even set me up on a blind date once. We both now serve on the same Advisory Board for our University and keep in touch through friends and Facebook.
I don’t think I have ever taken the time to express my gratitude to her for influencing decisions in my life that have made me the person I am. I truly believe that, had she not handed me that bookmark I may have had a very different high school career. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and while I know she only did those things because she is genuinely a caring, loving, fantastic person, I know it has helped make me the person I am today. So for that, Ms. Cheerleader Girl, thank you. ;)
She and her husband got married after college and were living what appeared to be a great life. Many months ago she started blogging about their struggles conceiving a child. They had tried for quite some time with no avail. It tugged at everyone’s heart strings to read about the struggles these genuinely great people were having. She and her husband announced that they had decided to adopt, a difficult decision, no doubt. Adoption doesn’t come without it’s struggles, especially foreign adoption, but through her blogs I could really tell she had opened her heart and would be the perfect mother to these two beautiful children she had fallen in love with. A bump in the road set them back a few months ago and their wait would be longer to bring home the children. Yesterday, after I had literally just been wondering how things were going and if they had made any progress, she posted a blog. Tears begin streaming down my face as I read that she is pregnant. I literally sit back with a huge smile on my face and say to myself “so amazing.” She and her husband will be welcoming three beautiful children in to their lives. I cannot imagine any two people more deserving of this fantastic blessing.
Congratulations Mark and Jayme.
I am thankful for bookmarks, I’m thankful for good things happening to great people, I’m thankful for struggles that make us strong, and I am thankful that everything happens for a reason.
Take a moment, and count your blessings.
My parents decided when I was in the 8th grade that it would be a brilliant idea for them to move to the country where my brother and I would attend a small country school. Basically they wanted to become Amish is what I pictured in my mind (not joking). We would have so many opportunities, the education would be better, we wouldn't get involved with kids we shouldn't. Those assumptions may or may have been correct.
On my very first day of my Freshman year of High School (arguably the most awkward time in my life) I started a new school, in a town I didn't even want to be living in. My dad dropped me off near the front entrance where (what seemed like at the time) there were hundreds of kids standing. Later I realized that my horrified eyes had multiplied the crowed of newbies by probably 100. I was just standing there looking around and thinking about whether I could run fast enough to jump in the bed of my dad's truck and would he notice if I just stayed there all day. Right as I'm choking back the tears that I did NOT want to come in front of all these kids who were gossiping about what they did over the summer, some girl with a ponytail high on top of her head, wearing a cheerleading uniform and probably the biggest smile I've ever seen comes up and says " Hi! Welcome back, Here's a Bookmark." At that very moment I relaxed and little and thought, well at least there is one nice person here.
After a few months I had settled in pretty well, and I ended up meeting Ms. Cheerleader. Turns out she was a few years older than me and involved in many of the same activities I wanted to be involved in. On several occasions she encouraged me to step up or nominated me to be in charge of different things. I had a great high school career, I was involved in many activities and left there with tons of friends. Ms. Cheerleader ended up graduating and going off to college. We really didn’t talk much to each other over the next few years.
Fast forward to my senior year of high school. I run in to her at Wal-Mart and she asks where I’m going to college. Turns out she was going to Mizzou too. She gave me all kinds of tips right there in the middle of Wal-Mart and told me about some organizations to get involved with. She gave me her phone number and said if I ever needed anything to let her know. I ended up seeing her a few times on campus and encouraged me to get involved with a Co-Ed Fraternity on campus. She introduced me to a few people in the organization and then I joined. To this day the people I met there are some of my very best friends.
After a long series of events we found out that we were both working at the same company and started keeping more in touch through email and messenger etc. She even set me up on a blind date once. We both now serve on the same Advisory Board for our University and keep in touch through friends and Facebook.
I don’t think I have ever taken the time to express my gratitude to her for influencing decisions in my life that have made me the person I am. I truly believe that, had she not handed me that bookmark I may have had a very different high school career. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and while I know she only did those things because she is genuinely a caring, loving, fantastic person, I know it has helped make me the person I am today. So for that, Ms. Cheerleader Girl, thank you. ;)
She and her husband got married after college and were living what appeared to be a great life. Many months ago she started blogging about their struggles conceiving a child. They had tried for quite some time with no avail. It tugged at everyone’s heart strings to read about the struggles these genuinely great people were having. She and her husband announced that they had decided to adopt, a difficult decision, no doubt. Adoption doesn’t come without it’s struggles, especially foreign adoption, but through her blogs I could really tell she had opened her heart and would be the perfect mother to these two beautiful children she had fallen in love with. A bump in the road set them back a few months ago and their wait would be longer to bring home the children. Yesterday, after I had literally just been wondering how things were going and if they had made any progress, she posted a blog. Tears begin streaming down my face as I read that she is pregnant. I literally sit back with a huge smile on my face and say to myself “so amazing.” She and her husband will be welcoming three beautiful children in to their lives. I cannot imagine any two people more deserving of this fantastic blessing.
Congratulations Mark and Jayme.
I am thankful for bookmarks, I’m thankful for good things happening to great people, I’m thankful for struggles that make us strong, and I am thankful that everything happens for a reason.
Take a moment, and count your blessings.
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