Lent

While most of you know that I am not religious, I thought I'd join in on this Lenten season. I think it can be a good time of self-reflection and improvement. I considered doing the age-old sacrifice of chocolate, pop, candy, [insert junk food here], but I am frankly too stressed this semester to deprive myself of anything that "helps" me through.

So I decided [belatedly] to do something to improve my mental state - every day, I will try to post on here something positive, something I am thankful for, something inspirational to me.... really, just something that will help pull me out of the funk that is this semester.

Since I'm late, here are my "positives" for the past few days and today:

• 2/22 - I know I was thankful on this day that my paper writing skills have improved, mainly my speed. I impressed myself the night before at getting through a five-page paper with relative ease. Always a plus in grad school.
• 2/23 - On this day I was grateful for old friends. My high school friend Bailey had a fun surprise for me when I saw her at my dentist check-up, which made me smile and feel grateful for long-lasting friendships.
• 2/24 - This Friday we went home to visit family, and I got to play with my fun nephew Nathan and catch up with my brother and sister-in-law. I'm so thankful for our relationship with them, and excited for how much I like my sister-in-law, Linda. We have really clicked and I love having a new confidant in my life/family.
• 2/25 - We went to visit my Grandma Grace and Grandpa Bob in Nebraska this day. I'm grateful for my grandparents, on both sides. I am so lucky to still have both sets of grandparents still around, but I know someday that will change. Grandma Grace gave us quite a scare a couple of weeks ago, and it made me think about things, like how I hope my grandparents can meet my children, and I hope my children will be able to meet my grandparents while they are still active and engaged. It makes me sad that my children will never know my grandparents like I do, but I know my grandparents would be really happy to at least meet my children someday.
• 2/26 - "Be curious, not judgmental." - Walt Whitman
• 2/27 - "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault." - John Henry Newman (To combat my perfectionist tendencies.)