40 Days

Lent can either be a rewarding challenge or agonizing disappointment (... except Sundays). It seems more practical than the impossible New Year's resolutions, tho. But for only 40 days of my life it has the potential to be a game changer. I am hoping one new challenge will turn into a habit. I am giving up giving in to temptation. And it's not just the 'giving up' but what will take its place. I hope to live each day with Honesty, Humility, and Sincerity.

Updating My Fairy Tale

I began the draft of this post weeks ago....

It is time I update my fairy tale with a modern twist. But in my mid 20s and in this world my generation has created, it seems that what I want and how I get it are opposing desires. What happened to the classic days of being romanced and swept off your feet? Maybe, I am an old soul. For one thing, I know he should be my best friend. Every other decision I make in my future will be impacted by who fate matches for me. I don't need the fairy tale that is picture book perfect. I want to write my own story.

.... Then, life happened and the pages began to write themselves.

02.20.12

Wrong Turns Lead to the Right Path

On Friday, I was rushing to get on the road from DC to the beach for a weekend celebration of Easter. I planned to grab lunch for the long drive and could not find food satisfying or convenient. So, I made turn after turn, going further out of my way and not finding anything. I drove in a big circle, only to come back to where I started, frustrated that I had to sit in traffic again while my stomach growled with hunger. Then I looked up and thought 'Ahh, I get it now.'

Mind you it was Easter... There was a crowd of people walking behind a man carrying a heavy cross.

I believe those wrong turns, or what I thought were detours, directed me exactly to where I needed to be. In God's time, opportunities are presented to us on purpose. All the little things in life that we don't plan for and throw us off our game, happen so that we can experience something better. So that we are in the right place at the right time although it does not feel that way when we have tunnel vision and only focus on what is going wrong. Live with your eyes wide open.

"When we stop looking for what we think we want,

we find what we never knew we needed."

Cherry Blossom

Credit Union Cherry Blossom

Ten Mile Run

It's finally here! My day started with a 5:15am alarm followed by a quick 9minute snooze fest, dreaming that it is too early to be functional. By the second alarm, I could not wait to get to the race. I layered on the running gear: spandex pants, breathable long sleeve shirt, shoes, watch, headband, and water belt. I think to myself, 'Damn I look official. Let's get this running party started!' 5:45 I am out the door for a quick jog to the metro and meet my fellow dedicated runners in the cold darkness anxiously waiting for the train to take us to our destination. I hop out at Bethesda to meet Kerry and Danny to drive the rest of the way. As I'm waiting, I take advantage of the nearest hotel's restroom to drop a necessary pre-race shadoobie, but not much success. Back outside, I watch the sun slowly rise between the buildings. Simply breathtaking; this moment of solitude and appreciating the symbolism of the sun awakening to brighten up the day is what life is about.

It's go time! Kerry and I decide to run the race together all the way to the end. I followed her lead as she weaved between the crowded path of people for the first 2 or so miles, with bursts of sprints into the openings. We kept a good fast pace and miles 3-6 seemed to fly by as we swapped storied about the most embarrassing college incidents. 7-8 were a bit tough for me because the cramp I was trying to ignore became more painful and made my gut swell. At the moment of a quick wince of doubt at mile 9, a stranger encouraged me, "9minutes. You can do anything for 9minutes." That kept me going. Kerry and I started our sprint earlier probably than we should have. Up a hill; people cheering; this race seemed like it was never ending. Then, just ahead, we spotted the finish line banner. Seeing that was like fireworks and we sprinted our hearts out, weaving once again. BAM! One of the best feelings in the world: accomplishment. I earned that finish.

Ever After...sure

Have you ever met that couple and asked, 'When did you know this was real?' And the man says, 'I knew the first moment I saw her that I was going to marry her.'

Really?!! I wish I had that intuition. I have this feeling that the man I am supposed to be with is not where I am. I guess this could mean a bunch of things. Is he in a different state? A different state of mind? Just in my mind? I love this journey that I am on, but sometimes I want to know what sights I am going to see along the way so I can at least stay awake for it.

I get criticized for thinking that falling in love is like a fairy tale romance. I get that I dream in a romantic-comedy inspired world. But aren't stories based on real life?

Pay It Forward

Do one good deed for another and watch as the kindness

trickles through the cracks of our heart

to fill it with satisfying joy.

The simplest things mean so much more when it is not anticipated. When you are happy, it can radiate to others around you. Today, I watched as the random acts of kindness shown to a stranger become a domino affect to those who directly receive it and those who witness it from a distance. An older woman held open the door for me. As I did the same for the boy behind me, he thanked me and walked down a different sidewalk. I strolled to my car across the parking lot and a man stopped his car to wave me along. Then, I drove my car slowly through a busy lot, motioned for a car to squeeze in line and she thanked me with a smile. And last but faithfully not least, a group of people passed in front of my car and just before the crosswalk cleared a little girl paused to wave enthusiastically at me for letting her pass safely. It warmed my heart. All this in five minutes. Imagine if you had a whole day or even a lifetime to pay it forward.

Life is Full of Lemons. What Will You Make of It?

I was watching a foreign movie on the Sundance Channel, called 'The Lemon Tree', and 5 minutes of a scene sparked a thought. Though subtitles scrolled across the bottom of the screen, they were not necessary to understand the characters and I didn't read them anyways. It's not like I chose this artistically, I was just lazy. But it was effortless to feel the simple human emotion and to see the uniqueness that perspectives portray. Two people look up at a lemon tree under the same shining light. One sees fruit, prosperity, and a livelihood while the other sees it blocking the view of the vast blue sky.

Such is the metaphor for life. Do you appreciate what you have now? OR... Do you look to the future and think that tomorrow always could be better than today? You and I will look at the same object, then paint it differently. You and I will listen to the same song, then sing it in a moment for a different meaning. You and I will meet the same person, then interpret that interaction as seen through our own eyes.

If this post provokes you to think, then its randomness has served its purpose. So, I will leave you with this question. When life gives you what you did not ask for, what will you make of it?