Same Love

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

California Dreamin’

Ready for the summer..sun, freckles, sandals, concerts and staying up late on warm nights.

Sissy Smee Sr.

Here’s to remembering a night filled with uncontrollable laughter, indulging one’s sweet tooth and a full moon that makes locals want to lecture politics to complete strangers.

 Oh, and to sharing life with a fearlessly silly sis who keeps me from sweatin’ the small stuff.

Free Spirit

Isn’t it beautiful,

how people come and go,

when you relinquish control,

to be taken by the flow,

of life

something far more advanced,

than we’ll ever truly know,

and to coexist,

without the limitations of touch,

emotional or physical,

just to be,

free

knowing when to let go,

abandon your ego,

and separate selfish tendencies,

from a beautiful soul,

admire from afar,

what’s in the hands of another,

a love more pure,

than that of a mother,

a free spirit

that comes,

and fills,

and goes,

isn’t it beautiful

when you relinquish control,

to be taken by the flow,

of life.

Ice, Ice Baby

For the last three days, the state of Washington has been graced by the unusual- a snow, ice and wind storm-that has resulted in car accidents, fallen tree limbs and power outages galore.  It’s even meant an unexpected vacation from work, which I must admit, is not entirely appreciated- because I like what I’m getting paid to do, the challenge it’s been presenting as of late, and the people I’ve been learning from (including my mother, who also works in automobile claims and is currently spending her weekend providing service for policy holders who have been affected by the storm).

Generators have even been brought into the office, in order to get the computer system up-and-running and host a full house of on-call claim handlers.  And while I would love to be in the midst of it all, I am reminded that I still have training and two weeks of claims school in Illinois to complete (which makes me even more eager to get back to work).

If you ever hear me complaining, please throw this blog entry in my face, because things have really started to fall into place- I’m busy working, making undergrad loan payments, keeping up with Chemistry, saving up for my own place and even having enough to set aside for a backpacking trip through Central America with my best friend from college. Sometimes I just need a gentle firm reminder of my blessings.

Anyway, I am supposed to be talking about a nationally-recognized ice storm not my personal life.. just my personal life being affected by a nationally-recognized ice storm.  So here it goes-

The first night of the power outage I stopped by the Olive Garden for take-out, because the place was packed with panicked people (say that three times fast) and eating at home by the glow of flashlight seemed far more appealing than being seated amongst the madness.  As I waited for my order I heard the sounds of crashing plates, children crying and watched as frantic servers tried seating a sea of diners, while the manager sprinted from one end of the restaurant to the other trying to pull it all together.

It was like being on the sinking Titanic.  I watched in silent disbelief, along with the others who awaited their meals-to-go.  Who was going to make it out of the chaos with their sack of soup, salad and breadsticks was unpredictable.  We all just stood there, sizing up the competition, wondering who would be the next to go.  Fortunately, I made it out of there alright, dignity in tact.

Apparently, abnormal weather conditions and a lack of electricity is the perfect combination for making people loose their inhibitions.  Especially in the Pacific Northwest, where six inches of snow and the falling of ice-burdened trees is comparable to the destruction of World War II (as declared by a woman who called into the Komo 4 news radio station a few days ago).  If that’s the case, then good luck with the Apocalypse, lady.

Reflections

Do you ever think of all the wonders,

how much they’ve changed your life,

or how you were moved when you felt so grounded by the world?

What would it be like if fear had held them back,

if pen never touched paper, lyrics went unsung, a hand-up stayed tucked inside a pocket,

a thought was thrown away from a beautiful mind?

Do you ever think of those children you saw at the mission,

their eager hands grasping for a sack of food, a warm sweater, a rosary from behind the glass case,

something they could hold onto, to say was theirs?

And do you think about those men that made you smile,

that gave you hope when you served hot meals into the cold hands of the hungry and homeless?

Do you remember how it felt when they knew your name, when they shared your ideals,

when they turned their lives around and you were proud to call them your brothers?

Have you forgotten what it felt like to be alive, to have a light go off inside and have a reason for living?

Do you still think about that strong woman who touched your life?

Do you remember what she said about fear and living day by day,

about the world being yours to make you stronger, not to bring you down?

Do you remember the story about her father, about his life and his journey,

the cancer, and the joy that spread even further?

What happened to the girl who cared about the world, who believed in making a difference,

who wanted to fight for the ones who didn’t have a voice, or a choice, or a dream that kept them up at night?

Does she sleep soundly while her dreams get away, and she forgets about grace,

or what it felt to be worked on by the ones she set out to save?

Do you still remember the night when you were the one worth saving?

Dreaming is believing

Listen

This is where I tell myself

what’s done is done.

And all that we created

was because we were young,

and our heads were gone while our hearts ran free.

And this imagination, that’s been built over time,

it’s being stripped

by facts and figures,

pushed by people with broken hearts that never seemed to heal.

This is what I’m to believe in?

 My heart did tell me

nothing will be

exactly how you imagined.

But something so close

there’ll be no room for disappointment.

Yet this is what we have left.

Not because we didn’t dream enough

but let fear take us down

with our hopes,

something that was real.

And patience and faith were lost in the insecurity

of these pasts we both still seem to feel.

Now from the ground-up

I’m restoring what is true

because dreaming was reality all along.

And those concrete pieces to be seen

left me nothing but a weak heart,

and something so cold it can’t be life.

Look at who’s telling you how you should feel,

and what’s left when you abandoned

all you knew that was real.

White Blank Page

This is completely untimely, as is most of my life (hence the slogan: mas vale tarde que nunca or better late than never), but I cannot not share this with you.  And yes, I’m an English major and just used a double negative.  Get over it.

Seeing Mumford and Sons perform live was, hands down, the highlight of the Deck the Hall Ball concert I went to on the night of my birthday.  And when they performed “White Blank Page”, I turned into an overly-emotional junior high school girl who wanted to marry the lead singer of the band.  The song gave me chills.  And they were the good kind-the ones you get when the music makes it all the way from the stage into your body, even when you’re two floors up.

Lost in My Mind

Imagine a directionally challenged individual like myself, trying to navigate her way to a location she’s never been before without directions.  Yeah, I’m not sure what I was thinking.  Last weekend I made the trek up to Whidbey Island to spend some time with my sis and extend my twenty-second birthday into a week-long celebration (no complaints here), and I decided to get there without the help of Google Maps.

I’ve actually been to the island once before, but wasn’t the one driving which means I most likely wasn’t paying attention (I get really into singing and dancing in the car, in case you didn’t already know).  So I figured I would just go north up towards Vancouver until I saw mention of Deception Pass, because crossing a bridge is something one should remember, and to give myself credit I almost got that far without any problems.

I think I deserve a gold star for my efforts.. or maybe one of those personal-pan pizzas like I got whenever I did those Book It challenges in elementary school.  (Free pizza for reading, people.  If Pizza Hut had extended that offer to me when I was in college I would have put them out of business.  And yes, that tangent was necessary).

So when I got lost, of course it was right before the pass somewhere in Anacortes.  Although, I’ve been starting to see my navigational inabilities as a blessing, because sometimes you come across these really beautiful moments and views that you would have never experienced otherwise.  And that’s when I pulled over on some narrow, winding road to step out of my car and enjoy the calm that surrounded the area that evening.  Who ever knew getting lost could be so peaceful?  And there’s something to be said about timing as well, because if I hadn’t of run off course I wouldn’t have finally made my way to Deception Pass just as the sun was setting.  Absolutely gorgeous.

Twenty Two Years Young

Thank you to my lovely family and friends for sharing with me an amazing twenty-second birthday celebration, filled with energetic company, fearless dancing, quality, live music and deliciously-frothy beer.

Young the Giant, playing the tambourine like a boss.

Foster the People

Cage the Elephant, legit crowd-surfers.

Bottoms up!

Death Cab for Cutie

Mumford & Sons

Yeah, I gave the whole concert a thumbs up too.