Heart Issues

I have been having heart issues for the past month or so. Apparently for some reason my heart beat is irregular so my heart is not pumping as much blood as it should. It's not a big deal by a Cardiologist's standard. A few different medications and it should all be fixed. From my standpoint, it causes constant chest pain and makes me incredibly tired all the time. After a few weeks I think  the issue should be fixed and I should feel better, but I don't.

I am sorry to say I have had more than one day where I think my life is hard and wonder why I can't jus be 100% healthy. I am always glad when I have the opportunity to remember that MANY people have it far worse than I do. Awhile back I read an incredible book called, Before My Heart Stops by Paul Cardall. He had seven open heart surgeries and countless operations. He waited over a year for a heart transplant in terrible health and also endured the loss of his brother (who was only 32 years old).

Suddenly my life sounds pretty great. Here's one of my favorite quotes from his book:
“Our lives are full of these moments when the thick fog of adversity surrounds us. Yet we somehow adapt. We plow ahead and move forward with our lives as best we can. We choose how we are going to handle such a crisis. Within each of us is the ability to transform our wounds into wisdom." 

I love this. Every day is a choice to be grateful for what I have and appreciate the great things in my life. There is always something to be thankful for; I believe gratitude can save us in our moments of despair. In the wise words of my brother, "I know for sure the hard things in life are just there to make us better." 


 

Why English Teachers Rock

Have you ever met someone that makes you feel like a rock star? Every time you talk to them you feel like you can conquer the world because they have so much confidence in your abilities. Anytime you talk to them you leave the conversation feeling like a better person. Family is great for this type of thing; my parents are always encouraging and supporting me. However, I think there is something to be said for people outside the family circle who take a special interest in a person's life.
I was thinking about this the other day when I realized that I am where I am in my career due to my college education, and my chosen field of study was largely determined because two teachers made me feel like I was exceptional at something.
It started in middle school when my seventh grade English teacher had us write descriptive essays. She was always encouraging my writing, giving me additional help and praising me for a job well done. I decided I loved English because I always left class feeling like I was successful.
This was personified when I got to high school and had a fantastic sophomore and AP English teacher. She encouraged me to enter contests, submit my work to magazines, and apply for awards I was sure were out of my reach. When I went to her with a ridiculous idea of starting a school newspaper, she was nothing but supportive. The confidence she showed in me made me believe that I really could succeed. I thought about English as a career choice instead of just a subject, and had an incredible college experience because of my chosen major.
I still consider my high school English teacher as one of my biggest fans, which is a pretty incredible thing. Sometimes I wonder how different the world we be if we took the time to show an interest in just one person. Help them feel valued. Show them they are important. Tell them their contribution matters. I think about how much better my life is from knowing these two teachers, and I hope I can pay it forward to someone else somewhere down the road.

The things you hear at the airport

Right now I am sitting in the airport at my gate waiting to board a flight. In typical fashion, everyone (myself included) is congregated near power outlets so they can use their laptops, iPads, cell phones and any other technology. Naturally there are also a lot of people on their cell phones. I am overhearing the most interesting conversation right now. It’s not like I meant to listen it, he’s just talking kind of loud and there are a limited number of seats by my gate. The first thing he says to catch my attention, “Man in the past five or six years, I have just learned that there are way more important things in life than money. Like the things that really matter to me have nothing to do with the size of my house.” He then went on to say that his money was probably better spent on his kids and that if he wanted to throw a big party, he could just rent a place once or twice a year. The conversation ended shortly after that and he left to board his flight.

It seems obvious and probably cliche. Most people would say they value their family, faith and more “intangible” things above everything else. But is that reflective in our day-to-day living? I love having the newest phone, a nice computer and I definitely have a weakness for clothes and shoes. Career choice and occupation are status symbols, and many people feel validated or not good enough because of their job. What if we all openly displayed this same attitude? That people were more important than things? How would my life be better?  For once, I am glad someone was talking a little too loud in a public place.

Valentine's Day

The other night I had a friend text me and ask me for help. When I asked her what she needed, she said she was writing something for work: A single person’s perspective on Valentine’s Day. My first instinct was to throw up in my mouth. I was born on February 11 and have grown up with people referring to me as a “Valentine’s baby.” This along with the fact that to me, Valentines day became lame after I stopped getting candy in school, has made me despise the holiday. However, I recently have come to some realizations that have made V-day so not awful anymore. And it didn’t start by my relationship status changing.

Realization #1: Love extends beyond boyfriend/ girlfriend or husband wife relationship.

This sounds corny and super obvious, but it’s true. A few nights ago I was talking to a friend and he said that he always sends his mom flowers on Valentine’s Day. Maybe I live under a rock, but I know of very few guys in their twenties (or guys in general for that matter) that send things to their moms on Valentines’ Day. This reminded me that when I was young, I came home from school to find a purple rose (my favorite color) from my dad on Valentine’s Day. I can remember several years where he would send me a flower at school or have something waiting for me when I got home. My dad is the ultimate example of knowing how to treat all the girls in his life right. So think about your family or your close friends. Maybe one of them could use a card or treat to let them know how much you care about them.

Realization #2: Life is better when you’re happy.

Another obvious truth, I know. However, I also know way too many people (and I hate to say it’s mostly girls) who are extremely unhappy when this time of year rolls around. They become cynical, talk about how much they hate men, how stupid men are, and how all men seem to date the wrong type of girl. This is usually followed by an excessive intake of chocolate, ice cream, candy, cookies, or anything else high in calories that they feel like will help them drown out the sorrow of their sad, single existence. All the while watching ridiculously cheesy chick flicks and wishing their life was like a Nicholas Sparks book. 

Every girl can probably admit to at least some of this behavior; sometimes it happens. But lately I have noticed how obnoxious it is when people are negative about anything: how it just kind of sucks the life out of you. Dwelling on something that you can’t change at the moment is so miserable! And though a lot of people might not believe this, I think I can choose my attitude about anything and everything. And I think it’s great to be happy, on Valentine’s Day or any day of the year; because I have a family and friends who love me despite my weird and quirky behaviors… and that’s a pretty great thing.

The Lost Virtue

I was required to take a "depth science" requirement in college. This sounded like torture. I majored in English and Journalism for a reason: I absolutely hate math and science, and I am terrible with both subjects. Being extremely motivated and ambitious, I asked everyone I knew what the easiest class was to fill the requirement. I ended up in "Science and Modern Technology." I thought this would be one of those classes where I would have to force myself to go, try really hard to stay awake, and want to skip the class all together 90% of the time. However, it ended up being extremely interesting due to the teacher. One day, she gave us one of the most unique assignments I have had in a college course. She started class by passing around a large bag of cards and envelopes.

She said, "Since everything is digital, no one writes anything anymore. When is the last time you sent a letter? Take a card and write a thank you note to someone who has made a difference in your life. Go buy a stamp and bring it addressed to class on Thursday. It's homework and you will be graded on it. Everyone deserves to know they are appreciated."

It sounds a little elementary, I know... Writing and mailing a thank you card for homework. But I think she was teaching a valuable lesson. Gratitude and thank you's are not really high on the list of priorities in an extremely fast paced, digital society. No one even mails their bills anymore because it's easier to do it online and you save on postage (which keeps going up). However sentimental or romantic it may sound, there is something special about writing a note and sending it in the mail. I love to get "fun mail" as I term it. It's a refreshing change from the junk mail or bills I usually get. Think about someone who has made a difference to you, is a great friend, or helped you out recently. Take a minute and write them a note and then send it in the mail. It will make your day! The last time I wrote a thank you note, I received a long text thanking me for sending a thank you note. This is evidence to me that people don't say thank you nearly enough. It's a great week to be grateful!

Attempting to Blog... Again.

I have always wanted to blog but somehow I always fail. When I was in school I was writing ALL the time so the last thing I wanted to do after I finished a fifteen page paper was sit in front of my computer and blog about how great or terrible my day was. The other problem I have with blogging is most of the time it seems self-centered and I don't think anyone wants to hear about my "problems" or issues (and I really don't want to post them on the internet for the everyone to see). So I am going to start writing about all the things I love to do. Cooking, sewing, sports, running, writing, reading, geeking out about technology... it might be a little random but I like too many things to focus on just one. I don't expect anyone to read this much less follow it, but I miss writing that's not work related.