Month: November 2018

Dear Katie,

Wow. It is hard to believe that I have come to my tenth blog post, the end of this assigned blogging journey as part of my freshman Rhetoric and Civic Life course. This means that I have just three more weeks left in the fall semester… what? Everyone says it, but it is true, so I will say it again: time flies. I feel like you just dropped me off yesterday, yet I am already 1/8 through my time here at Penn State. For my final post, it seems fitting to talk about gratitude as we just celebrated Thanksgiving, an entire holiday dedicated to giving thanks for the things we have. Over break, my THON Committee started an email chain where everyone shared what they were thankful for and then “popcorned” someone else to do the same, and it was seriously amazing to read what everyone wrote. I loved that it was a reason to pause and put gratitude down in words, and it really made me realize how important it is to live a life full of gratitude, not just in the week surrounding Thanksgiving. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a (non-exhaustive) list of everything I am thankful for. On the bad days where I am having a hard time reminding myself how extremely blessed I am, I will refer back to this list, and I hope it inspires you to do the same for yourself.

I am thankful for the little things…

• hot cup of coffee with a generous amount of creamer
• good music, especially Taylor Swift throwbacks and coffee shop acoustic
• fall scented candles
• colorful pens and calligraphy
• good books
• beach days (see above)
• fresh veggies and salad
• Greys Anatomy

I am thankful for the big things…

• Family
• Health
• The fact that my biggest worries are exams and papers…. How blessed am I that these are my biggest obstacles? Very.
• Technology to connect me to the people I am far from. FaceTime, you rock.
• Freedom, both the freedom afforded to me by living in the United States and the freedom to choose my path for the future and recognize the limitless possibilities

 

I am also thankful for this blogging assignment as it was a much-needed outlet during my first semester and ended up being something truly enjoyable. Maybe this is not goodbye and I will continue blogging outside of my class assignment. Who knows. Either way, I am grateful to be your older sister and to put my thoughts onto this virtual platform to reach you.

Until next time,

 

 

 

“Gratitude is the sweetest thing in a seekers life – in all human life. If there is gratitude in your heart, then there will be tremendous sweetness in your eyes.” -Sri Chinmoy

 

Dear Katie,

Over the past eight weeks I have thrown a lot of information at you. Maybe you will remember it all, maybe not. But if nothing else, remember these ten things:

1. Cry it out.Crying almost always makes me feel better, and I truly recommend it highly. The catch: you can only give yourself one good cry, then you need to pull yourself together, wash your face, stand up straight, and tackle whatever it is you were crying over. Don’t dwell in the sadness. Feel it, let it out, then move on from it.
2.  Girl Power. Girls can do anything. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Find powerful women who inspire you and seek to emulate their strength every day.
3. Sisters before Misters. There are many sayings that capture this sentiment, not all of them are appropriate for posting in this medium, but the message is the same: your girl friends are more important than any boy will ever be.
4. Sleep. Sleep as often as you can. You are not you when you are tired. Often a problem looks completely different after a full night’s sleep.
5. Will it matter in 5 years? This is a question I ask myself whenever I think my world is ending. The answer is usually NO, and it gives me the necessary perspective that maybe I couldn’t see because I was blinded by the emotions of the moment. If it will not matter in 5 years, it is not worth the stress.
6. Choose Kindness. Every single interaction you have with others is an opportunity to choose to be kind. Make this choice every single day, every single minute. You’ll be happier for it, and the world around you will be as well. Give people the benefit of the doubt, forgive, and speak with compassion.

   

7. You can’t do it all. Don’t do a lot of things poorly. Do a few things well. It is so much more rewarding to give 100% of yourself. You have so much to give, so do not compromise that by overextending.
8. Go to Church. Yep. I know you used to go simply to make mom happy, but if nothing else it serves as an hour of quiet time to reset and re-center for the week ahead. When things get tough, having your faith to look to can be so comforting.
9. Invest in Relationships. The relationships you have with your friends and family will be the most cherished things you have, far more valuable than any possession could ever be. As such, pour yourself into these relationships and allow them to make you a better person.

   

10.  Just go for it.You’ll never regret going for it. It will probably go well, and if it doesn’t you’ll learn and grow through it. I can’t tell you the number of times fear held me back – fear I wasn’t good enough, fear of what others would think, fear of failing– and how every single time I regretted not just going for it.

until next time,

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.” ― J.K. Rowling