It's my Blog {And I'll be Sappy if I want to}

I’m sitting at my kitchen table, sipping an Oreo Blast milkshake (extra chocolate, please) working on a Spanish Essay while Project Runway plays in the background. I text my mom about my midterm grades—solid B+s across the board, & I’ll take it—and she’s proud and sends me an adorable clapping emoticon via text. Spring Break starts tomorrow but for now I feel annoyed by my homework and all the work coming up when I get back from break. Hard stuff. The big paper that is the culmination of my four years of college needs to be written between now and the end of April. L-dawg and K-money text me off and on and make me laugh out loud. I take another sip of my milkshake while staring at the Spanish words on my computer screen and it hits me: I am so lucky.

In May, I will have a college degree from a prestigious school. I have been afforded so many opportunities that so many people do not have. I sit in my furnished apartment, with food in my fridge and cabinets. I have clothes in my closet, and even if I think they’re boring and unfashionable, I am always warm and protected from nature by sturdy materials. I have a bed to sleep in, books and movies for entertainment and education, a laptop to work and play on, and the endless support of my family. I have been blessed with opportunities to travel and live abroad, experiences that have changed my life and influenced who I've become. I have a solid religious background that provides me with truths that give me great comforts when I’m feeling low. Why do I so often feel pity for myself or upset about the course of my life? Why do I fret over hard work that is part of an education I am fortunate to be receiving? I am so lucky.

Jen calls. Mom calls. Friend Stephanie calls. A stream of people who I love, reminding me of my small but important purposes in life: to comfort, to share, to encourage.

And that’s just what I’m feeling tonight.

{Venice, October 2008}