Clocks

A girl sits quietly gazing impatiently at a clock across the room. The clock ticks, she blinks and time passes. Suddenly she is no longer a child, but a grown woman with children of her own. Startled, the girl awakens. She now sits patiently, no longer staring at the clock; hopeful yet not in a hurry to grow up.

Laugh a little

“It's much easier to not know things sometimes. Things change and friends leave. And life doesn't stop for anybody. I wanted to laugh. Or maybe get mad. Or maybe shrug at how strange everybody was, especially me. I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. You can't just sit their and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is. And we could all sit around and wonder and feel bad about each other and blame a lot of people for what they did or didn't do or what they didn't know. I don't know. I guess there could always be someone to blame. It's just different. Maybe it's good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Because it's okay to feel things. I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite. I feel infinite.” - Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Great books make good movies.

Pets

"If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans" - James Herriot

If you have a pet then you will easily relate to this post. Especially if your pet is more of a companion than an animal. In my opinion, that's the best definition for a pet anyway.

The world can be a beautiful but cruel place, but animals remind us that altruistic love exists. An animal's love is unconditional; they don't care what you look like.  Animals also have a way of peering into our souls and understanding our emotions. They yearn to make us whole again when we feel broken.

People think my family is crazy because we have five cats, but maybe we are just more open to the love that animals can bring into our lives. All of our cats are rescues and need all the love they can get, so we give it to them, but what they give to us in return is the true reward.

We would all do well to learn from our pets.

Define that please

I think millions of people all over the world are constantly trying to define love. If you look on the Internet you can find numerous quotes about what love is, or you can walk into a bookstore and buy books on how to find better or more love.

Some emotions are easy to define. We cry when we're sad, smile when we're happy and yell when we're angry. But what about love?

Maybe love can't be defined. Perhaps it's one of those feelings that is subjective to each individual.

However, for me, love is wanting the best for someone. Always wanting to hold their hand. Love is full of laughter and talking but sometimes also tears. It's often heard that love means never having to say you're sorry but that's far from the truth. Love is full of apologies. Fighting is ok as long as you learn to forgive. Love never holds grudges. Love doesn't mean you are both exactly the same, but you care about each others differences. Love is about the little things. It's knowing that no matter what you do or become that your heart is still safe.

There's only one thing about love that seems to be objective: if you are lucky enough to find it, don't let it go.

Dream big or go home

My psychology professor was talking before class one day and jokingly he said, "How does one throw in the towel? I mean, did anyone ever ask the towel how he feels about that?".

This has stuck with me for a few years. Ironically it was meant as a joke, but is there some truth to that statement? Can a person actually throw in the towel? Well, yes - but should we? We all have the freedom of choice in our lives, but when it comes to goals and dreams can we actually just give up?

We can choose to let dreams go, but I believe they have a way of sticking with us.  Maybe we let dreams go because we are afraid of the outcome and not reaching what we desire. But what if you give up on your dream and spend the rest of your life trying to dream up something to replace it? And what if that new dream just isn't quite as good?

Well, for me, that's too many what ifs. Dream big or go home.

A Friendly Tribute

As humans we are wired to be social, to want to be around other people. We call these people our friends.

Friends, in my eyes, are one of the most important things you can have in life. We don't just merely want friends, we need them. We need that constant companionship; those often thought provoking moments late on a Wednesday night. Those listening to music so loud in a car that your ear drums could burst moments, but you don't care because you're too happy - those are the great parts of life.

I've found that when it comes to friendships, we often befriend people who are similar to us yet still manage to make up for what we lack. If you're strong, I bet your friend is stronger when you can't be. You like to try new foods? I bet your friend is really good at finding good restaurants.
If you're a deep thinker, I bet you have a friend who is really good at making you laugh. If you like to talk, I'm sure you know a good listener. We need these type of relationships to add balance to our lives, especially when it gets confusing.

I've known most of my friends since I was about 12. As we got older our group expanded but remained strong. The new are just as valued as the old. Even though we are, at times, spread out across different states we still manage to stay close. It's nice to have a solid friend group, friends who would do anything for each other. That's what friendship is all about right? Yep, give and take.

Good friends allow you to make mistakes and love you anyway. However they aren't afraid to say you're being an idiot, but they will still hold your hand afterward. They aren't afraid of hurting each others feelings because good intentions are always obvious. Friends are also our biggest encouragers. They recognize your desire and need to grow and they do so with you. Through growth and change you grow separately so that you can continue to grow together. Friends are there to laugh and cry with you. That 'if you're ever sitting on the floor crying, you bet that I'm sitting right next to you' type of situation. Isn't that a wonderful thing? I think so.

I say friends are one of the most important things in life because I've often heard there is never a lack of love, only a lack of friendship. So cherish your friends and tell them what they mean to you. Remember to always be kind and be the type of friend you value.

So, with that being said, here's a shout out to the people who make my life complete. All of you: the laughers, comedians, criers, deep thinkers, good planners, intellectuals, partiers and especially the good listeners. I wouldn't be who I am today without all of you. Thanks for adding so much happiness to my life - I will spend the rest of my time here trying to return the favor.