Good-aye Mate!

Yesterday was my day off from absolutely everything, because I am DONE with finals and this semester! As much as I loved school these past few months, I need a break for the first time in a year. (Physics and A&P didnt offer me much of a break this summer). So today is going to be another double whammy! 

I've been trying to make this video these past few weeks, so I needed to find a blank tape, so i ended up going through quite a few of them. I found the Senior year play, which was so fun to watch, I found my senior year homecoming stuff, and a bunch of stuff from right after my nephew was born and I became a god-momma. I realized that as humans we have this amazing ability to remember things and reminisce with others. 

Thing I have taken for granted number 11:

Memories. 

I took an Anatomy class this past semester, and the last few weeks were devoted to Neurology. We learned about many different things about the brain and memory, all that stuff. And unfortunately we learned about those who have lost such abilities. Huntington's, some types of Parkinson's, and the big one, Alzheimer's. These people with the aforementioned diseases struggle with varying types and severities of dementia. As if forgetting simple things like where the coffee is, what the garage code is, or where he or she left his or her glasses... they also sadly lose their personal memories: peoples names, recognizing their faces... holding your children as babies, watching their children get married, their OWN weddings, meeting their grandchildren.... and many other things. It's not just sad, but frustrating for them. It makes me sad to hear about people with this disease, strangers whom I have never met or seen.... to experience it secondhand or firsthand... would devastate me. I hold my memories to very close to my heart, even the bad ones, because I know that they have made me who I am, and they are a constant reminder that I am NOT perfect and I should not expect myself or other to be. Memories rekindle friendships, marriages, love... to lose those would be harder than any tangible thing on the planet. For those of you who experienced a love one battling a disease of this nature, I am sorry to the very brim of my heart. No one should be robbed of their memories, no one should have a loved one robbed of their memories. 

So remember to remember. And remember that you're lucky to have every memory you hold.

On that note, let's move on to something a little more happy. 

My sister has been corresponding pen-pal style with a girl from England for the past... well a while now. C made a trip here to America, and they were able to meet finally after months of emails. She was very safe about it of course, making sure that if anything happened she had "back up", you never know with the internet :) . The point of this is how amazing new friendships are and meeting new people is.

Thing I have taken for granted number 12

meeting new people from new places

I saw my sister smile and enjoy herself today more than I think I've ever witnessed. Sometimes I think making friendships online is more productive than in person. You know if you have things in common before you have to spend time with them :)  but anyway, I learned so many different things about England, like the fact that they only sell the kind of Coca-Cola that we discontinued (they have no Coca-Cola Classic, shock - amazement - i know!) While people from England and people from America aren't vastly different, there is still more of a cultural difference than you might think. Meeting someone new can seriously make you feel more happy. Ever heard the saying "fake it till you make it"? Well, usually when we first meet someone, we are on our best behavior. We aren't going to throw a pity party while our NEW friend it with us. We don't want them to have to spend the time comforting us about our problems, so we're focusing on the happy things in our life, the fun things. And believe it or not, even if you're kind of "faking" for the time that no bad things are going on in your life... it has an effect on you, that makes you kind of feel like there are NO bad things actually going on in your life. It helps you forget about the bad things. It helps you get a new perspective. It helps you enjoy yourself just a little bit more than the people you are more comfortable around. 

I need reminding most of all, but go out and meet new people. Be friendly to people you are in line with, people you are working with, in class with. Sometimes the greatest friendship are those you didn't expect to have at all. 

peace.love.happiness.