Happy Thoughts of the Day

I've decided that now might be a good time to come up with a general purpose for this blog. I've actually been thinking about this for a while, and an idea came to me suddenly on day when I was writing a letter. I have this friend who is living in Japan at the moment and I write him letters whenever it strikes my fancy or whenever I happen to have time. In most of my letters I like to add a section titled: Random Happy Thoughts. This, I admit, is one of my favorite parts of writing these letters, and I don't think he really minds it either. As I was writing this section the other day I had the brilliant idea of expanding it into a blog-like genre, so here we are. From now on this blog will be entirely about happy thoughts from yours truly, and I'm pretty excited about that!
My happy thought for today is exact change. I had the blessing of being able to go to an ice cream shop today with two of my friends. This is a blessing for two reasons. Reason number one: I had time to be with my friends. Reason number two: I had money to go to an ice cream shop. Oh, the simple joys of college life!
Anyway, as I went to pay for my one scoop of 'Praline Pecan' (which is redundant, by the way) ice cream and the cashier told me that my total was $2.25 I realized the joy of having exact change. I happened to have two dollar bills and a quarter waiting patiently in my wallet at that very moment, and as I reached in and pulled them out and handed them to the cashier I recieved the glow that only a small, simple miracle can bring you.
Exact change is awesome for several reasons. Firstly, it makes your life easier. You don't have to worry about getting a ton of change back, and having to carry it around in your purse all the time. Also, paying with cash always feels a bit more honest to me, and having exact change is almost as convenient as using a debit or credit card, which is a double pro if you ask me.
Secondly, it makes the cashier's life easier. Have you ever been a cashier? I have, and I know how that moment when you're getting their change for them can feel like a millenium if you're in a hurry. You know, that moment when everything but your hands seems to go in fast-forward while your fingers fumble and shake in slow-motion? Yeah, it's not a fun feeling, especially when the person you're trying to help is being impatient about it. This is another reason why exact change is so awesome, because it completely eliminates that moment from the transaction. You give your money to the cashier, they put it in the register, moment over. Convenient, huh?
 And finally, exact change is happy because it puts the stamp of approval on your purchase. For instance, I was feeling a little bad about buying ice cream because it's unhealthy and it's a little extravagant, but having the exact change I needed for it was like divine providence saying, "Hey, it's ok to buy this ice cream. You deserve it." Having exact change is like destiny saying that this moment was meant to be, because everything worked out perfectly. That's right, that ice cream tasted better because it had the sparkle of hope for a perfect future. Everything in my life before had led up to this moment, and everything in my life after would just fall in to place because of it.
Yes, exact change made me happy today, and I hope that exact change will make you happy from now on, because when you think about it, it's pretty joyful.
Have a wonderful day. You deserve it!

Discouraged

It seems to me that the hardest times in my life are the times when I am sincerely trying to improve. This alone could make a person convert to apathy.
I suppose not trying would make things a lot easier. But I have a feeling that in the end I would only hate myself and everyone around me. Because I don't really think it's possible to be stagnant in life. You're either progressing or regressing. And usually, when you're not trying, that means you're regressing.
So does that mean all of life is one long uphill battle where you either keep climbing or roll back down to the bottom of the hill? Are we all just unfortunate hikers who climb endlessly towards a non-existant summit? Am I always going to work hard towards my goals, only to find out that I am, once again, sub-par?
Nope. I won't accept it. There has to be a better way. There has to be a way to progress without discouragement. There have to be smaller summits along the way. Places to rest when you are weary, or to celebrate when you have passed a big milestone. I am sure there are such summits in our life climbs. I am sure I will reach one soon enough. If I can just be patient with myself, and understand that I am not going to be perfect, then I am positive that things will get better. And with an attitude like that, maybe the climb itself won't be half bad either.

P.S. I must say that this particular post reminds me of a Miley Cyrus song. Which is the most discouraging thing about it.

The Nest

Lately I've been thinking that spring isn't ever going to really come. It just feels like every time it seems to get close a storm gets in the way and ruins everything. That seems to be the problem with both spring and love. The moment you start to hope something comes along to break your heart.

I've felt almost exactly the same about life. My soul seemed to be in a wintery rut of sorts. I couldn't seem to find a way past my icy doubts to hope for the future.

Then this morning, as I walked home, I caught sight of something that surprised me. There was a storm on the way, you could feel it in the wind, but just as I was thinking this I saw a bird flying with a long twig in it's beak. I stared in wonder for a moment. I have never seen a bird preparing a nest before. 

This is when I got to thinking. The bird, like Noah's dove, had brought me hope for a spring that I couldn't quite see at that moment. Surely if the birds know it's time to settle down then it's certainly a good time to start making some plans of my own. 

Nature it so great.

Fritos

I have to say, first off, that this isn't as much a post as it is a short story I wrote last year that I really like. I hope you enjoy!

Fritos

It all started with the Fritos. It was the Fritos that took the warmth of dislike and fanned it into a flame of passionate hatred.

You see, we started dating. He was relatively attractive and I was naive. I liked him, I really did, but one day we were hanging out and he had these Fritos. I love Fritos, so I went to grab some. He firmly shook his head.

"I never share my Fritos."

And from that moment on our relationship has just gone downhill. There he sat, talking and laughing with his mouth full of Fritos like he ruled the world. Crunching them with his mouth wide open, rubbing his enjoyment in my hungry face.

I know it's irrational, but I hated him.

"I never share my Fritos."? What kind of rule was that? An idiot rule, that's what.

Oh, how I hated him.

Ever since then I found more reasons to hate him. He irons his towels, and his second toe is bigger than the first, and sometimes he says I'm crazy.

That's why I went to his house today with a bag of poisoned Fritos. I just smiled, handed them too him, and said good bye.

So, that's about it. It's a really, really, short story. But I found it amusing, so hopefully you did too. Anyway, I'm off.

The Perils of Dating

I am perfectly willing to admit that I don't really enjoy being single. Not to say that I am unhappy about it, or that I let it ruin my life. But it's not really my favorite thing either.
Now we get to the dilemma. I don't know how to get out of being single because in order to be in a relationship you have to start with dating (gulp).
Come now, and let us be honest with ourselves. Dating, no matter how casual it is, is kind of a scary prospect. And not just because it has the potential of leading to some kind of commitment. With every date you have the very real possibility of running into one or all of the following unpleasant experiences.
The Awkward Silence
This particular peril generally occurs when you decide to be brave and ask that cute person in you math class that you barely know. The problem? You don't really know them and therefore don't really know if you have anything in common. These moments go something like this.
"So...."
"....yeah...."
"How about that math test last week?"
"Ummm..... Good.... I guess."
Suddenly you're talking about math, and that, my friends, does not really make for a romantic first date. Unless of course you really like math. Then I guess this kind of date would be positively idyllic for you.
The Motor Mouth
If you have a firm "no cute person from math class" policy then this peril might be the one you face the most. This generally occurs when you or your date is trying to avoid The Awkward Silence. 
The basic idea is that one of you is talking so much, and so rapidly, that the other can't really get a word in edgewise. There are several problems with this. Firstly, one of you isn't talking. Secondly, the person talking looks stupid, self-centered, and really nervous. Thirdly, the looking stupid and feeling nervous often leads the person talking to really strange topics. These moments look something like this:
"... and that's why I've never really understood Wiccans. Anyway, that's really all I have to say about that. So, have you ever been clamming? Really? That's odd. I hear it's a messy business anyway. You know my brother? The one in Australia? Yeah, he's pretty cool...etc."
Now, I plead guilty for this particular crime. But I cry mercy as well. If you ever happen to be on a date with me, or even having a simple conversation, just shut me up. Change the subject, and talk rationally about something... well, normal.
The Unequal Attraction
This one has very little to do with the two above. This happens when you didn't really even know the asker existed until they asked you.
This situation generally reveals itself in this way:
It's the end of the night and he is bringing you to the front step. You sigh in relief. This has been the longest hour of your life.
You get to your door and you turn to each other.
"So..."
"...yeah...."
"I had a fantastic time!" He says enthusiastically.
"...Me too." You reply, less enthusiastically.
Then he hugs you, and it's one of those long, drawn-out, hugs. Suddenly you realize that he actually thought this was a good date, and you're rapidly trying to think of a good excuse to avoid another one.
"So what are you doing next Saturday?" He asks hopefully.
"Oh, darn. I'm going to be waterskiing with my second cousin who just got back from his foreign exchange program in Hong Kong."
"That's too bad..." He says dejectedly, "How about the Saturday after that?"
"Oh, well, my grandma is getting surgery....etc."
Generally, in these situations, I would go with these two bits of advice. Firstly, maybe just go on the second date, and if it sucks again then you can go with my second bit of advice which is be honest. Just say, "Hey, these dates have really sucked, never talk to me again." Or something like that.


In conclusion I have one thing to say. Dating is a necessary evil. We all have to eventually go through this extremely awkward, and momentously unpleasant,  experience. But I have advice to help with that too.
First off, go into it with the idea that you genuinely want to get to know the other person. If you start thinking about the other person positively then the whole thing will go a lot better, and trust me, you'll enjoy it a whole lot more. To go along with the first one, have several very thoughtful questions planned for when you experience the awkward silence. Think of questions that will get the other person talking, not just questions that require one word answers. And if, in the end, you're really not attracted to the person, then at least you've made a pretty awesome friend.
There now, that didn't hurt so bad.

These Are the Moments

I am now a firm believer in the ability of a single moment to change you forever. And growing up isn't a steady, even, process. You can have a short period of steady growth, followed by a random spurt, followed by one of those vital moments that changes you so much more than the other two put together.
Sometimes these moments are terrible and scary. For instance my life has been very changed since the moment I saw my brother doubled over in tears in the hospital. It was the moment that I knew my father was gone, and the moment was dark with grief and sadness.
But other times, like today, these moments are full of unspeakable joy.
I have the great priviledge of being my best friend's maid of honor in her upcoming marriage. This is kind of scary to me because it feels weird for her to be getting engaged when I still feel so young. Today I had the opportunity to go dress shopping with her. Which was fun if only because I am a girl.
After an hour of looking and trying on she emerged from the dressing room in a dress that looked just about the same as all the other dresses, at least to me. But as she stood in front of the mirrors with the lights shining on her the dress seemed to look a lot more special to me, and not because the dress really seemed that different but because I could tell that she loved it. Her joy about the dress seemed to light the dress up, as well as make her look more beautiful than any dress could ever manage.
Then I realized something. As I watched her eyes fill up with tears, and as I beamed in approval at her happiness, I decided that the only thing that really makes anyone or anything special is someone loving them. You can make anything important by loving it.
My doubts about her age and her choice slipped quietly out of my mind as I realized that she had made him special by loving him, and she felt that he had made her special by loving her. Though, I loved her first, so she has been special to me for much longer than she knows.
It's like a song lyric I have always loved. "Happiness is anyone or anything at all that's loved by you."
The thing about these moments is that the moment isn't necessarily the most important part. It's what you make of the moment that decides how much it changed you. With this moment I have decided that I am going to be more generous with the love that I give. I've got a lot to offer people. And what do I have to lose?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas is awesome! I am sure most will agree, except for those of you celebrating other holidays. But even if you don't appreciate Christmas you can't help but appreciate some of the results. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a gift or two? And the holiday season can really bring out the best in some people. So even if you don't celebrate it, you can at least respect that it is a holiday dedicated to giving, despite the fact that it has turned into a retail nightmare.
I am spending Christmas with my older sister, her little family, and my mother. It has been pretty rewarding so far. I spent my morning watching two adorable children open gifts and get enthused about Santa Claus. Victory.
Santa Claus is a brilliant ploy. I mean really, what better way to get your children to stop being bad and to stop crying? "Sally, if you're not nice to your little brother then Santa won't give you any presents, and, Tommy, you know that Santa doesn't like pouty faces. Will he have to leave you a lump of coal this year?" Our ancestors knew what they were doing when they came up with that one.
As to giving, I'm not really sure I'm that great at it yet. I mean, I enjoy giving, but I'm not sure if the people receiving are really enjoying what I give. This, I suppose, could be a great New Year's Resolution.... I must think more on that one. The good news is that this year, at least, I just had my sister, her husband, and her kids, none of which are hard to please. A board game, a truck, a Strawberry Shortcake doll, and one free babysitting coupon later and I was set. But even with all of those gifts I ended up having to ask what I should get and where I should go to find it. A true gift giver knows what the person wants already, and wouldn't give the surprise away by asking about it. And the best gifts really do come from the heart. Giving someone what they want from a retail store isn't the same as giving them what they need from your own two hands.
To improve our giving I suggest looking to the ultimate giving example. Our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season after all. His sacrifice for us, given out of pure love, is what leads us to the greatest gift of all: Eternal Life. And pure love, charity, is why we give in the first place. Gifts should be a symbol of the love we feel that we can't express in any other way. Sometimes words are not enough.
So, although it is a bit late to do anything about this year's Christmas, it might be a good idea to consider these things for next year. Not to say that I've got this whole thing completely figured out yet myself, but I think as a society in general we could improve on our giving skills, because giving is a skill. I only know a few people who were just born with the talent.
To finish off, I would just like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc. and a Happy New Year (unless of course you're Chinese, because you don't celebrate it at the same time).
P.S. Do you love how my entire post was about Jesus Christ, and then at the end I tried to be politically correct? Wow, I did a good job on that one.