Blessings Blog

Today I'm thankful my laptop trackpad could still recognize my swipes through the layer of superglue on my fingertips. Nothing quite like how Elmer's peels off with a fingerprint impression though...

I'm thankful for the remnants of my childhood that turn up while organizing my room. And I'm thankful for how much more comfortable I have gotten with driving since the days I needed a "directions" notebook to tell me which way to turn out of my own street.

I'm thankful for the time I had with the house to myself, even though it was not quite long enough.

I'm thankful I had nowhere to be when my momma's car was fussy and refused to start so she could borrow mine and get to the doctor on time.

I'm thankful for friends who try to be sneaky and pay the waiter in advance for dinner without my noticing.

I'm thankful that after basically twelve years of year-round competitive tennis, it is still a part of my life. After not playing for a few weeks, to get back on the court tonight with one of my old teammates felt foreign because it is not on the front burner of my life anymore, but yet, so natural. Going from playing and competing about five days a week, every week for basically twelve years to seeking to play once in a while because I still love it is pretty much the best. I give thanks for the much-needed rest from all of the pressure that I basically just put on myself mentally and physically because I wanted to do well for my team. I'm thankful I can still keep up with Carleton tennis and try to support them as for many of the things they are going through, I've been there, done that. I was so fortunate to have a great college tennis experience with my team and coaches, and now, my family sport can be one of those things that I can do to run around until I can't run around anymore.

I'm thankful for friends who continue to reach out even though I can be quite bad at keeping in touch. After long days, people may not be my first default, but that does not mean I do not care or I do not want to maintain relationships. I have come to understand that I can kind of be a strange mix of introversion and extroversion, and God has created me to thrive in one-on-one time with others or in small groups. And every day I am learning how to best get all filled up on God's love by balancing work, activities that help me find peace and rest, and giving of myself to meaningful relationships because I so want to live God's love all the time. However, I will try to continuously acknowledge that I am not perfect, and so it is still my job to admit my inadequacies and understand how they are manifest in my relationships and in my relationship with God. It is through God that we can respond to stress with breath, vulnerability with strength, and fear with love.

P.S. Friends, I so appreciate hearing from you. My apologies that I may not reach out as much as I perhaps should or as much as you would like to hear from me. Know that I still care about you, and if it takes me a while to respond to your message, it's because I want to sit down with enough time to fully devote to you and your message.