A Little Slice Of Heaven In 2011?

     This year I did a lot of early morning driving. At 0600 on Talk 650 KFBK, 2 male voices would come over the radio. During their show opening one of them would say “It is (insert date here), and a little slice of heaven in 2011”. (Or something like that). When I heard this at o’dark hundred as I headed to another long day, I had to laugh because nothing could be more opposite. Looking back on 2011, however, there were a few slices of heaven.

        My brother and I reached two huge milestones this year. After being told by those around him multiple times he would never graduate High School, my little brother graduated. The pride I felt for him is immeasurable. The pleasure I felt in him proving all those ignoramuses wrong still glows bright. The lesson? Don’t ever tell anyone they can’t do something because they might prove you wrong and then you are the butthole. Especially someone who has God on their side…

                I myself managed somehow to graduate nursing school. Not only that, a few weeks later I passed the board exam. I don’t think I have ever had a more petrifying experience.  Through God’s grace I was given a job at an area hospital in the exact unit I wanted. For me, 2011 meant entering into adulthood. In some respects, 2011 has been my hardest year yet.

2011 also had wonderful times for me. 2 weeks camping in Yosemite Valley with friends and family was my favorite highlight. Being a volunteer nurse at Leoni Meadows Summer camp was very full circle as well. My family was safe, healthy, and I never missed a meal. My car worked, my bed was soft, I had hot water to shower, and an electric toothbrush with plenty of toothpaste. While this year was challenging, I never went without comforts that others across the globe never have. I don’t know what it means to be in total survival mode. I am truly thankful for that.

For me, 2012 will mean getting familiar with this new world of adulthood. It will mean making the transition from student to professional. It will mean learning to stretch my wings, but also how to handle life in the big bad world. It will mean developing a thicker skin, and learning to deal with people when they are their worst and lashing out. On a global level, 2012 means more uncertainty. The future is unknown, and things we don’t know scare us. I will continue to find peace in family and friends that truly have my back, and a God that already has my ultimate future secured.

Good-bye 2011. Welcome 2012. Let the adventure begin…

Christmas time is here…

During nursing school, I did a rotation on the mother baby unit. I am not a mother, and I had only ever babysat ages 4 months older and up.  I knew that newborn babies were fragile, but until I actually was there the few moments after birth I never realized how delicate they are. We monitor their temperature in a way we don’t dream of in adults. Their tiny little bodies can’t handle any extremes in environment.

Then we read the Christmas story. Christmas bends all human logic. The idea of a supreme being brings images of ultimate power. You look at many other religions and you come across stories of gods who are frightening and selfish. Frankly speaking, when you come across the story of the Christian God, you come across an odd story. An all powerful deity reincarnating as a helpless baby? Crazy. A powerful deity reincarnating as a helpless baby to POOR people? To people that would birth him in a freaking barn? Insane.

I love Christmas. I love the Christmas story. I really do love the lights that you spend hours stringing on wobbly ladders, the carols you hear over and over again, and the 600 calorie Starbucks drinks. My childhood was a great one, and my mom and dad made Christmas magical. Yes, I did believe in Santa. No, I didn’t somehow get scarred for life. I left brownies and hot tea for the man in red, and I did hear sleigh bells in the snow. I have been known to lie myself under a Christmas tree and stare at the lights.

I love Christmas because at its core is hope. It is the reminder that there is peace available to those that want it. It is a time where we can hit the reset button after a long year of stress and remember why it is we are even on this planet. I would like to end this post with a scene from my favorite Christmas movie “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. A movie in which our dear Charlie Brown is surrounded by commercialism, pushed to utter frustration, and finally straightened out by Linus.

 

“ISN’T THERE ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT??”

“Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. *Linus walks out to center stage*    Lights please!

‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!’

That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown”

I truly wish you a Merry Christmas.