Float down

      As I sit here listening to Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran, I can't help but repeat the lyrics over and over in my head. I have the posted, listen to it. It is such a beautiful song, just let the words and music fill your mind, so that all your worries and pestering thoughts silently drift away. I can't help but agree when it says, "Another day, another life, passes by just like mine." It seems to me that we always get so caught up in the busyness of every day life. We can't help but think about what is next on our to-do list, what we have forgotten to do, and how there is never enough time. In doing this, we seem to put living as another item on our to-do list and we forget to stop and enjoy life. I do admit that I am guilty of this, but honestly I think that everyone is, no matter how much they try to deny it. I wish this wasn't the case, but sadly it is. This isn't the first time I have thought about this. More often than not it is at camp in the summer when I reflect on this dilemma. At camp, I am away from the world's distractions and surrounded by such natural and simple beauty and the glories of God's creation 24/7. Life at camp and in the Blue Ridge mountains is simple and beautiful. I can't help but wake up with a smile on my face and go to bed with the same sense of peace and happiness. What is it about that place that makes me live like that? I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I have been trying to answer that question for the past 13 years and no matter how hard I try to find an answer, I can't. If I had to try and explain it though, I think a good way to put it is that there I choose to live differently. I choose to live in the moment, and not in the past or the future. I choose not to let what people say affect the way that I view myself or others. I consciously decide to live each moment to the fullest by actually living in and enjoying that moment. No matter how hard I try to keep doing that when I return home from camp, I can never seem to do it. This way of living maybe lasts for 2 or 3 weeks at most before I slip back into the habit of living life just to get by. As much as I wish this weren't the case, it is. This beginning of this year more than ever, I feel like I have been living just to get by. I got back to school and so much began to go on in my life, more of a whirlwind, that it seemed easier for myself and my emotions to begin to prioritize things so that I could check them off my everlasting to-do list. This isn't the first time that I have done this, actually I do it all the time, it is my way of hiding my feelings and putting up a front.

          Something about this October has been different though. I began to slip back into my camp mentality and live each day just for that day, nothing more. Yes, another day and another life passes by, but for some reason this October I wanted to make the days count and not pass by with nothing to show for them. What surprises me the most is that I didn't try to do this, it just naturally came to me. Maybe God realized I was getting to caught up in the whirlwind of the first two months of school that I needed to slow down. I needed to be brought back to the basics, to see the beauty in simplicity, to see the joy in living and to realize that life is the greatest gift I have been given and it isn't something that should ever be taken for granted. Why I can't have these realizations everyday, is a mystery to me. But if living with this mind set, is anything like this past month, I don't ever want to give it up.

          This lovely month began with a long weekend (every weekend has been a long weekend thanks to no classes on Friday) and a trip down to Houston to visit my brother Daniel and his beautiful girlfriend Vanessa. I can't even begin to explain how much I needed to get away from campus and everything that was going on in my life here at SLU, and the timing was perfect. I don't get to see Daniel and Vanessa much (maybe once or twice a year...) which made the visit that much more special for me. I got to cut myself off from school and just enjoy their company and get my mind off of everything. Over the weekend Vanessa and I went to lunch together and then to the Museum of Natural Science, Daniel and I went to a movie, and we all went to dinner, hung out every night, played scrabble and went shopping. I was especially glad that I got to bond and get to know Vanessa even better. She has such a bubbly personality and always knows how to make me smile and laugh. Her love of life and appreciation for the little things is so inspiring to me. Watching the dynamic between Vanessa and Dan just made my heart smile. I hope that one day I will find someone who loves me as much as Daniel loves Vanessa. To me their relationship seems to be based on love, respect, laughter, compromise and most importantly friendship. I look forward to the day when I get to have that kind of relationship with someone. He's out there, somewhere. God just likes making me be patient :)

 Daniel and Vanessa

Delicious Mongolian Hot Pot dinner in Houston

          If the trip to Houston wasn't enough, the second weekend in October one of my best friends and fellow Kahdalady, Amanda came to visit me. I haven't seen Amanda since the summer and when we last saw each other things were weird. But over the past 2 months things all seemed to fall back into place in our friendship. I am so glad that she was able to come up to SLU to visit me for the weekend. I forgot how much I missed her friendship and how important it is to me. I missed telling her everything, having her shoulder to cry on, her laughter to go along with mine and just her company in general. We always joke that we should be the same person because we are so similar, but maybe we are just two parts to one person, and it is not until we are together that we are complete. When the two of us are apart something always seems to be missing. Over the weekend, I got to show her around campus, which has become a sort of home away from home for me. We went to the zoo and spent the whole afternoon admiring the animals (and maybe the football team, and train conductor!) I was completely over joyed when we were able to skype one of our best friends from camp, Kate, who is spending 6 months in Africa doing mission work. We spent Friday night at the house hanging out with a bunch of friends. On Saturday we went apple picking with about 40 other Micahs. You can easily say that Micahs took over Eckerts on Saturday afternoon. We then baked apple crisp and watched Mighty Ducks 3. There was a late night trip to City Diner for milkshakes (a tradition among my friends). On Sunday Morning before heading to the airport, we attended probably one of the most beautiful masses I have ever been to at the Cathedral Basilica. The mass, which was said by Archbishop Carlson, was the White Mass which is a celebration of the Feast of Saint Luke and a celebration of those who are health care professionals. Even though it was sad to see Amanda leave, I can help but look back on our weekend together with peasure. If the weekend couldn't get any better, Sunday afternoon I got to babysit for two precious children, Olive and Van. I absolutely love being around children, it brings so much joy into my heart. We spent the afternoon playing in the leaves and walking around the neighborhood. It was perfect. (Below are some of the pictures from my amazing week with Amanda)

          So in a nutshell, this October has been nothing less than perfect for me. I was surrounded by family and friends. I played a lot, laughed a lot, and prayed a lot. I began to appreciate the things that I now realize that I often take for granted. I began to appreciate my friends and housemates more, and the support that they have given me through all my rough times. I have learned to appreciate my parents more and all they have given me.  I was more thankful for my faith that continues to grow everyday. I have learned that it is healing to cry, and the power of laughter. It has been a long time coming, but I think I am happy at where I am in my life.

Autumn- Ed Sheeran