Over the Rainbow

The song Over the Rainbow had always been one of my favorite songs. That is until this summer. On August 4, 2013 heaven got one amazing angel. As sad as I am that grandpa is no longer here on earth, I know that he is in a better place and out of pain. For his memorial service my aunt had a slideshow made, and honestly I still cannot get through it without crying, however; it was a beautiful  way to remember the wonderful life that my grandpa lived.

One of the songs in the slideshow was Over the Rainbow, and at first this made me upset, I thought to myself why would you ruin one of my favorite songs, now every time I  hear it I would think of grandpa. However, during finals week I was completely stressed out and turned on my Pandora radio, of course Over the Rainbow came on, and even though tears rolled down my face, I realized that this song was actually pretty perfect for my grandpa.

One verse specifically stood out to me when I started thinking about the life that my grandpa led.
"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, high above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me."
My grandpa was always called the candy man. Everywhere he went he always had a pocket full of lifesavers to hand out to anyone that would take one. After every high school game he would be waiting outside the locker room handing out lifesavers. This always started up conversation with people, and everyone who knew my grandpa loved him.

Some of the many things that have stuck out to me in the 21 years that I knew my grandpa were that he always seemed like he never had a care in the world. He lived his life to the fullest and made every day count. He spent a lot of his time at the golf course and he loved my grandma unconditionally. My grandpa was the guy that you could call and say I need help and he would be over in ten minutes. He was good at fixing things and loved helping people.

As sad as I am that grandpa is gone, I know that I will see him again and I cannot wait for that day! I know he is up in heaven causing trouble, playing golf with his buddies, and watching over our family. As Christmas time approaches quickly, just remember not to get so wrapped up in gifts, and trees, and lights. Remember to cherish your family and spend every moment that you can with them, whether you normally get along or not. Life is short, and we are never promised tomorrow. So love on everyone a little extra this holiday season, and tell people how much they mean to you.

I miss you every day grandpa and I can't wait to see you 'Somewhere over the Rainbow.' You taught me so many valuable things even if you weren't aware of it. Most importantly you taught me to love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful beautiful life that I have been blessed to have. :)

With great risk comes great reward

This weekend some of my sorority sisters and I went ice skating. Somewhere in between the laughter, falling, and moments of success, I realized that ice skating has a lot in common with living life. This fun filled event started with us lacing up these awkward things that they call skates and walking through the door to the ice rink where the temperature automatically drops twenty degrees. We slowly, one by one, stepped onto the ice and grabbed a piece of the wall. This brings me to my first point....

Now, don't get me wrong, I can be a cautious person however, I realized today that if you don't take risks you will miss out on all of the fun! If you are stuck holding onto a wall, get out there and join in on the fun! Yes, you may fall, but then what happens...? You get right back up and try again, and learn from your mistakes. I have come to realize that with great risk, comes great reward. Push yourself off of that wall you are clinging to and glide right into the spotlight.

This weekend I realized that it is so much fun to try new things, because they ARE scary. We may fail, but at least we got out there and gave it our all. Thomas Edison didn't create the light bulb in one try, it actually took him over ten thousand attempts to create the light bulb! I bet you sure are glad that he didn't live with the attitude of, this has never been done before, the risk of failure is too high, why put in the effort...? If so, we may still be reading by candle light! :)  My advice to you is to go out and do something you've never done before or try something you never thought you would. Be a Thomas Edison, don't give up after one failed attempt, or for that matter even ten thousand. Let nothing and come in between you and your success.

 

 Just like ice skating, life is unpredictable. You can practice something ten thousand times and still make a mistake, but this is what makes life fun!! The thrill and the adventure of life is what keeps me going. If everything were predictable, life wouldn't be any fun. So go out and try something new, something that scares you, because you may be pleasantly surprised. We don't know what the future holds, so instead of worrying, go out and live this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful beautiful life that you have been given to the fullest.

Top 5 reasons why people cannot fall asleep

As I lay here in bed, not able to fall asleep, knowing that I have to be awake and ready to take on another day in less than seven hours I thought it might be entertaining to compile a list of why people people lay in bed and cannot fall asleep. So here it goes:

1. You are going through your checklist of the day and realize you either got more accomplished than you had hoped, or, more commonly, you have a lot of making up to do tomorrow...

2. This is your down time in which you get on any and every social media sight that you a apart of and catch up on today's drama or are creating a new board on Pinterest. By the time you are caught up you have lost an extra hour to two hours of quality sleep, however you do not regret this decision in the slightest. Although that To do list is unfinished, that Pinterest board is something that you can be proud of.

3. You have literally one million things that must be accomplished before the week is over and you cannot decide what you should start on first, or if you even have time to sleep because you just have so. much. to. do.

4. You had a crazy day and are trying to process what actually happened. You finally come to the conclusion that your true friends will be by your side no matter what, the opposite sex will always be frustrating whether you are married, dating, or single, and then you ask yourself why you are worrying about all of this, and wasting precious hours of sleep.

And finally....

 5. Your stupid, obnoxious, annoyingly loud heater is making so much noise that you literally cannot fall asleep for more than twenty minutes at a time, so you stay up blogging to pass the time...

Now take a wild guess as to why I am still awake... no I am not at all bitter :) This just gives me the chance to thank God for this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful beautiful life, and hopefully provide some entertainment for people.

Wisdom to know the difference

This is my third year of college, I should be breezing through these last few semesters right? Regardless, this semester has tested my patience in many ways and has literally drained me in more ways than one. However, through all of this craziness, a lot of positive things have surfaced as well. Three of the most important things that I have learned this year are that I cannot do everything, I cannot be in more than one place at once, (regardless of what A Walk to Remember tells me) and most importantly that I have to learn to accept the things that I cannot change. It has been very difficult for me to accept these things but slowly and surely I am making improvements. 

So, I cannot do everything. This seems like common knowledge, but for me it definitely is not. I like to be involved in everything that I possibly can be, and tend to stretch myself very thin. I would encourage those new to the college life or getting ready to start college to definitely get involved, there are so many amazing opportunities and ways to get involved in things that you are passionate about. However, pick and choose wisely! Too many obligations WILL stress you out. So get out there and get involved but remember: You cannot do everything, because you cannot be in more than one place at once.

Which brings me to my next point. Although it was cute when Landon took Jamie to straddle the state line of North Carolina and Virginia allowing her to "be in two places at once" this gives us an unrealistic hope that we can do everything and be everything and everywhere. Don't get me wrong I love being involved in everything that I am, but I am thankful that we are not able to be in two places at once, because of the fact that I might go crazy!

Now if you haven't read anything up until this point PLEASE listen to this if you are in any way stressed or frustrated with anything! It will be worth your time I promise. The one thing that has allowed me to get through this semester without going completely crazy is the prayer of serenity:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will.

The three lines that I have highlighted really made me stop and think. It sucks accepting things that you cannot change, I have had a really hard time with this especially this last year. I struggle with why bad things happen to certain people who in my mind don't deserve it; but I have come to realize that me sitting here and obsessing over why things happen and even complaining or being upset about them is not worth my time. I have learned to stand up for what I believe is right, say my piece, and move on. This is easier said than done, but I am working on the third line daily, asking God for wisdom to know the difference between what I can change and what I cannot, and for Him to give me a peace of mind either way. I encourage you to try it out. Next time you are faced with something that bothers you, no matter how mad you are, STOP and THINK: Can I personally change the outcome of this situation? If the answer is yes or even maybe, by all means go for it; but if you know nothing you say or do will change what is already done, find someone to vent to, and move on so that you can continue to enjoy this crazy, tragic, almost magic, awful beautiful life that you have been given.