This week, I won't give you anything sappy, untrue, or biased in the slightest. Today, on this momentous and absolutely glorious Friday, I will give y'all something priceless and much underutilized...the truth.
The truth is, I prayed for a C in a class this week. For that reason, I haven't spent as much time with Lilly as I wanted to (Over 12 hours this semester isn't nearly enough, but it has to be before my cast comes!) I'm excited to have an 85 in a realllly challenging class that just happens to be my favorite. I've found a new appreciation (and a little obsession) with sleeping. I've studied more the past week than I have since finals week trying (and succeeding) in making an A in Calculus. The people of Lafayette and the Honors Program have become like family. I'm learning how to say no when I don't have time to make all my obligations. I'm saying yes to ice cream sandwiches and new experiences, like volunteering in a soup kitchen with my roommate today.
I can't even begin to express how rewarding it was to spend just an hour in the presence of the attendees of the soup kitchen, and in those few minutes, the distinct presence of God. We arrived and were soon donned with our own aprons (I was super excited!) We then got to serve beverages to those who were eating lunch, and the conversations that these strangers had with me were some of the deepest I had shared in a long time. I got to share a little of my background, a bit of my faith, and a lot of my future with an older man who wanted only to share a few life lessons and stories that were incredibly uplifting. Elise and I were told that we looked like all-American girls, she looked like Taylor Swift, our smiles were signs of God's love, and that we were blessings...and those are merely the ones I can think of off the top of my head. If you're free any Friday or Saturday from 12-1 PLEASE take the time to go to First Presbyterian Church. You'll leave feeling a lot better than when you came.
So, backtracking a little to our speaker from Monday night, Bradley Dean. He currently serves as the Creative Director and Digital and Graphic Designer...but he immediately admitted that he "wears many hats." I feel like everyone in the Honors Program share this with him, even if our only two hats are balancing our studies and seeing our family. Luckily, and almost impossibly, I've found a way to juggle my three hats (the Honors Program, Zeta Tau Alpha, and SGA UPC) at Preview Day tomorrow, and I am SO EXCITED! The first thing Mr. Dean said that absolutely stuck with me (after he mentioned he was nervous public speaking...lovelovelove...) was that we should all take extra effort in our college years to prepare ourselves for the world after we graduate. Definitely a good idea.
Mr. Dean also confessed he was still figuring out how he could make change in his community, which is comforting to hear. Frankly, people who seem to have all the answers are awe-inspiring, but a little exhausting. He told us to never forget we were part of something bigger than we could have a say in. That piece of advice can be crazy powerful if you apply it to any situation beyond its face value. I'll leave you with my final favorite piece of advice he shared with us: "There's no movement without the first follower."
So maybe I don't have to TRY to be President of every organization I'm in...or make an A on every assignment...or every class... Maybe (currently a VERY small portion of the time) I can be happy following someone who I think is an amazing leader (Hailey Boeck!) and that's a wrap for the week. Love y'all! :)
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