This is still one of my favorite photos to this day and it honestly wasn’t even planned. I was taking two classes that I was thrilled about that semester— Mark Twain which I had waited for 2 years for and a Disney class. What could wrong, right? Apparently a lot.
I should have known when Georgia lost the national championship game the first day of class While I did thoroughly enjoy both of those classes, this was my worst semester as far as my health goes (followed closely by the semester before! Junior year was rough y’all). Nobody wants unexplained eczema all over your face but especially not a 21 year old college girl who’s already extremely self-conscious and struggling with anxiety. And it went on for weeks. By the time it started to calm down, my skin was a wreck, cycling between eczema and acne and back again. I actually was skipping my Twain class the day this picture was taken for a doctor’s appointment. But I was still doing the reading when a random guy walked over and told me how pretty I looked, sitting there reading with the sun shining on me. And he offered to take a picture. I was flustered and surprised, but agreed and ended up with this picture which I love. I had never seen that guy before and I never saw him again even though I read there all the time. All I know is that I was very close to crying that day because of how bad I felt and that that little moment brightened my day. I like to think that while I was reading Twain’s Letters from the Earth that God sent me a little note from heaven. And whether angel or not, that moment and act of kindness still makes me smile to this day.
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Originally written December 23, 2022
Christmas is my favorite time of year but honestly I haven’t felt very Christmasy this year. And that’s just life I guess. The fragility of life is not something new to me. When you’re the oldest grandchild and the oldest of several kids, you quickly become acquainted with the beautiful frailty of new life. But death, and by connection grief are still very new to me. And for that I should be thankful I guess. But it doesn’t make it any easier, doesn’t make the questions any less, or make my mind able to comprehend it anymore than I’ve already tried. I wish I had something profound or eloquent to say to make it all better. But I don’t. All I know is that no matter how vast the darkness seems, there is always immeasurable light. Shining with the promise of eternity and the truth that the darkness has already been vanquished, long before I was born. Nobody has forever. But He does. And Christmas reminds us, that until the day when we can also share in that eternity that He placed a longing for in our hearts, He still lives, hope still comes, and God is still with us. So no matter how hard it is, I’m thankful for Christmas. For a God who would descend to our mess of a world. Hope itself wrapped in the swaddling clothes of a baby. The Light of the world in the dark of winter. And the angels sing while I cry, and He cries too. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Luke 2:9-11, John 1:5 |
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