Days 16 and 17

I missed a day!!!

I have a good excuse though, I managed to move most of the stuff out of my apartment on Saturday.  My apartment now echoes because there is little to absorb the sound.  It is a strange feeling, but liberating just the same.   It is the sound of chapter enddings and new beginnings.  It is the sound of acceptance and reinvention. It is frightening and exciting all at the same time.

But it is July 1: so here is my self-portrait. 

Since I did miss a day, I am going to have to catelog two days worth of happiness and positivity.

Day 16:

Meditation: the blessing of good work. Sometimes it is hard to get off my butt to really do what I need to do.  But after a long day of moving and getting things done (things that have been looming for weeks), I feel AWESOME.  Even though it sucks at the time and the short term benefits seem alluring, there is nothing like feeling accomplished.

Exercise: Moving for 4 hour. Ya, FOUR HOURS! In the ARIZONA heat.  That HAS to count.  Right?  Plus, my arms are a little sore.

Gratitudes:
1) My brother came home safe from Guadalajara.
2) We were able to get into the hospital after my brother's flight got in.
3) We were able to move my stuff out of my apartment and down to Tucson.

Reflection:
My parents tell the same jokes ALL the time.  When I was younger, I have to admit it was a little annoying.  I think it was because I interpreted it as "Do they think I forgot the punchline?".  But now when I'm older, I love the same jokes.  My dad tells the same jokes he's told since I was little because I think he likes to reminisque.  My mom repeats the same joke days apart because she thinks it is still funny and she wants to relive the laughs (an important part of happiness, for sure).  The day of moving with my mom and dad was all of this combined.  Fantastic.

Good Deed:
Reaching out to an old friend to tell them how wonderful I think they are.

Day 17 (or moving day part 2):

Meditation:  Youth. Even though I consider myself still very young, I realize how much I take my youth for granted.  There is nothing like stepping on the edge of the unknown and leaping forward just to see what happens.  I think that is kind of how I see youth.  You just keep walking into the darkness trusting that other people have made it before, and that it'll be fine.

Reflection:  One of the people I respect most in my life is my brother.  He is one of the kindest, most level headed people I know.  I look up to him as a rolemodel, I look to him as a friend, and I lean on him because he is my brother.  He is a rock.  I think the love he has for his friends and family is beautiful and awesome.  Anytime I witness that kind of love, I feel energized because I know that love is out there.  I am thankful everyday that I have such models for love and caring in my life.

Gratitudes:
1) I GOT A NEW PHONE! The duck is finally dead! (If you don't understand this statement, you may not have talked to me on the phone the last 2 months or so.  But trust me when I say, the duck going away is definitely a good thing.)
2) I spoke with Ben L. for a while today.  It is always awesome to talk to old friends.
3) My brother and I wandered Toys-R-US for like an hour today.  How awesome is that?

Exercise:
Moving stuff from the trailer into the house.  I am counting this again, I have a lot of stuff.  That has to be kind of legitimate.

Good deed:
It isn't really random, but I was grateful for the opportunity to help pick out action figures.

A call for prayers and love:
Please pray or send good vibes into the universe for Sterling (an NFD firefighter), his family and friends.  He was an amazing person who brought laughs, joy, and security to the people around him.  Also, please keep an eye out for any leads for the person who caused all of this pain.  Here is a short article with more information.

Please be safe.