The Road Not Taken.
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

                        
                                              Robert Frost

"The painful things seemed like knots on a beautiful necklace, necessary for keeping the beads in place." 


(Anita Diamant, The Red Tent)

Most people don't know there are angels whose only job is to make sure you don't get too comfortable & fall asleep & miss your life.

No matter how badly you want them to, how much you believe they can, or how often they say they will, some people never change.

"But I was more at home in my father's world. People like Mr. Heck Tate did not trap you with innocent questions to make fun of you; even Jem was not highly critical unless you said something stupid. Ladies seemed to live in faint horror of men, seemed unwilling to approve wholeheartedly of them. But I liked them. There was something about them, no matter how much they cussed and drank and gambled and chewed; no matter how undelectable they were, there was something about them that I instinctively liked... they weren't -- hypocrites."

Scout Finch

Nobody knew what form of intimidation Mr. Radley employed to keep Boo out of sight, but Jem figured that Mr. Radley kept him chained to the bed most of the time. Atticus said no, it wasn't that sort of thing, that there were other ways of making people into ghosts.

let summer be summer.

i am blessed & thankful for

Some days the things that I take for granted in life become lost amid a sea of papers, errands, and frustrated thoughts. Often times, acknowledging the beautiful things in life can drastically change my blue mood.

An amazing family. The ability to overcome any situation. The most genuine, influential, and amazing friends around me. The ability to go to college and get an education. The ability to think for myself, define my own being, establish my own morals and beliefs without fear of society or my family stopping me. Books, stories, movies, quotes, art, photos, and the imagination. Being quite introverted, but having the ability to socialize and be outgoing with new friends and people I meet. Being in touch with my inner self; discovering my emotions, why I feel a certain way and putting such emotions into words. The opportunity to be creative in specific things that I do. Having freedom, responsibility, and the trust of my parents. The opportunity to be different in a world where many are the same. The ability to read, learn, see, and experience to refrain from an ignorant lifestyle. The ability to have my basic needs met at all times. The ability to listen and experience an array of beautiful music.  Nature, the Great Lakes, Pure Michigan, the seasons, and the opportunity to experience such gifts every single day.

"Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that."

Martin Luther King JR

time, time, time, time, time.

Today.

My academic advisor explained to me the silliness of the perfect GPA. "Honestly, your employers are not going to be concerned with your grades or class levels as long as you get a degree above a 2.0. They are typically concerned with how involved you were as an undergraduate and the amount of experience you have."

I've always know this statement to be true, however this reinforcement was glorious. With the pressure of the perfect GPA lifted off my shoulders, I have such a greater appreciation for my education. Now, I do not have to beat myself up for coming short of 4.0 in a class and I don't have to study until all hours of the morning.

I can actually learn because I want to learn. Isn't that fascinating?

happy happy earth day

Let's appreciate something beautiful, sustaining, and amazing--let Henry David Thoreau inspire you today:

"Nature is full of genius, full of divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand."

"Well maybe there's a God above, but all I've ever learned from love was how to shoot someone who outdrew you."

brown paper bags

So I'm trying something new. It's a bit odd really, but somehow constructive amid school work.

The other night I realized that I, sadly, didn't have my journal here at school. Even though I may have resorted to this electronic journal, some things are a bit too personal to post. Needless to say, I started writing on the closest paper-like object I own, which happened to be a brown paper lunch bag. The bag is now filled with day-to-day entries; full to the brim with quotes, thoughts, and events. I've gathered that if I write weekly, I will have collected 48 paper bags by this time next year. That is 48 bags full of emotion, thoughts and questions--something far too personal for a public blog.

Such a beautiful thing sprung from a simple idea. I encourage you to take an ordinary object and turn it into something magnificent.

Happy Sunday.

There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money & it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other & to eat each other's cooking & say it was good.