The Little Things in Life

It isn't every day (or week) that you have experiences that cause you to reflect...to ponder. I love those moments!

Simple Compassion
I have been working with a student this year whose Crohn's disease has come out of remission, no doubt as a result of the stress associated with an abusive alcoholic parent. Ashleigh is one of the top students in her graduating class, but has missed so much school this year due to illness, depression, and the like, that the prospect of graduating in June is in jeopardy. She feels hopeless, and as though her opportunity to attend college in the fall is no longer an option. I called the three universities to which she applied, explained her unfortunate circumstances, and followed up with a letter documenting her current situation. The next day I received a heaven-sent phone call from Lynda Bailey, an admissions counselor at Virginia Tech. She called to tell me that they have offered admission to Ashleigh based on her overall academic performance and that this decision will not be rescinded as long as she graduates, no matter how bad her grades. Wow! I was moved. Virginia Tech is tough school to get into. This was just the kind of compassion and understanding that Ashleigh needed to keep going!

My simple faith in humanity has been strengthened. What a blessing for Ashleigh!

Simple Luck...or was it an answered prayer?!
So, back in January when I crashed my Altima, the State Trooper who showed up on the scene issued me a ticket for "following too close"...que?! As he claimed, had I not been following too close, I would have been able to stop in time to avoid hitting the car in front of me...and "from the look of the damage to your hood, mam, you must have been following too close." Interesting. So, I went to court last Thursday to contest the ticket. I waited among a sea of people in court room G for 2 hours until my name was finally called. I stood up and declared, "not guilty, your honor", after which I was asked to sit back down and wait another two hours until the judge read through all the guilty verdicts and fines. Finally, I was called forward and had an opportunity to represent myself and state my case. I did so with detail, explaining to the judge the issue of the irresponsible driver who crossed 4 lanes of traffic to make an exit, lost control of his car, and thereby created my accident and his own. After having cited the details, the officer again uttered "had you not been following too close, you would have had plenty of time to stop." The judge asked the officer if he had a witness. The answer, "no". My case must have been much better than the officer's weak and unfounded accusations, because the judge dropped the ticket and all charges associated. Value? 4 hours of my time and $4 for parking... oh yeah, and no record of a ticket. Well worth the time! I do believe the Lord is in our everyday details; even the silliest of concerns or desires, he finds worthy of attention.

Simple Epiphany
Recently I have found myself contemplating the importance of simple and honest communication...whether that be with a coworker, friend, family member, or someone with whom you've been on a few dates. I find myself analyzing and second guessing others intentions, and of course typically, that just creates trouble and unnecessary...stuff. After a somewhat emotional weekend, and on my way to work on Monday, I heard John Mayer's "Say". This is SOOO my personal theme song! I'm often accused of saying what's on my mind or "saying it how it is". I look at this trait as both a strength and a weakness...much more where this comes from, but for today...all I have to say is "I LOVE THIS SONG!" It carries so much meaning for me.

Now if only I could figure out how to load the song onto this blog, I would....Tara? help?