Much has happened over these past few weeks and I am well aware that it only took two weeks before I fell behind my goal - but rest assured it has been for good reason. Unfortunately, sleep beckons and I have not the time nor the energy to give justice to the many reflections I've had so they shall wait until tomorrow...but before I slumber I will share this:
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of my return to The States. Surreal doesn't even begin to describe how I feel when I realized how quickly this year passed, but it did not fly by without it's trials. I agree with Mother Theresa that "I know God won't give me anything I can't handle...I just wish He didn't trust me so much," and He truly tested my endurance since most days out of the last 365 were overflowing with stress and anxiety. But here I am, a year later and I wouldn't change a thing if I was offered the chance; My mom's misdiagnosis with cancer gave me the chance to tell her I love her more often. Missing 8 days of class to travel with the MU band proved that college is much more than grades on a transcript. Even old heartache provided a new and genuine friendship that has blossomed over the past few months. I could go on and on but I think you get my point. So, I sit here in my own apartment, a place I can finally call my own - working towards an exciting and promising profession at a prestigious university, surrounded by incredible friends and blessed with a supportive family. I can confidently say that I have grown immensely since I set foot back in the USA and am deeply grateful for all that has happened. That's not to say I don't long for the relationships, memories, and experiences I had overseas - I do indeed but they hold a special place in my heart as I continue moving forward though life's journey. I have flown to new heights and the view from this tree is getting better by the day.
It's easy to re-evaluate our life when January 1st rolls around and everyone's raving about their new resolution(s). It's crazy but 2012 is actually almost halfway over - how are those [long-forgotten] resolutions holding up? More importantly (especially if you didn't make a resolution or it fell through the cracks before February rolled around) how are you doing since this time last year? Perhaps June 19, 2011 wasn't as meaningful of a day for you as it was for me but I challenge you to think about how life has been for you for the past 365 days. What kind of challenges have you endured? Which moments took your breath away? How often did you count your blessings? Take time for an adventure? The list goes on and on. Obviously, each of us has taken a unique path to get to where we are now, but whichever winding road you took I hope you would choose it again if given the chance to change it. Because as much as we'd like to erase the painful moments from our memory we can't. Fortunately, it's the tears of pain and sweat of endurance that water our inner seed of humanity, allowing us to grow, live and love. And if we're lucky, our trials will give us the courage to spread our wings and soar to new heights. There are countless branches out there - how did you get to yours?
Blessings,
Janelle
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