Miracles Surround The World

Picture this: Waking up at 5:30am to prepare for a school competition/meet. You cannot drive yet so you go to wake up your mother, she's not in her bed (you assume she's in the bathroom) so you tell your dad and he tells you he will drive you. It seems like a simple offer, but then you go back to wake him ten-fifteen minutes later and your mom still isn't there. She wasn't down stairs and she wasn't with the kids. You're in the car and you ask your dad: "Where's mom?" He says "She's fine." Then where is she is all that runs in your mind. "Is she hurt? Did something happen?" He shook his head and says he'll tell you later. You think the worst, where did she go? Did she run? Only to learn your grandfather had a heart attack the night before, the one that came in for an early Christmas from Michigan....

My grandfather suffered a severe heart attack on December 17 at 3:30am. On that fateful Saturday I did not get any notices of his condition. I awaited a text, a call, something, anything while at a meet for speech. I learned later he was improving, yet then the next day he was near death and they weren't sure that he was going to make it. By December 23, he was stabilized. He was going to be alright. It was concluded that he was a miracle case, a one in a million chance. They originally thought he would need a transplant of something else, yet he didn't. His minimal heart function (15-20%) has done all the work, compensating for the other parts that aren't functioning. Yet, even though he believed that he'd be safe and ok as did we, he is not the main point. He was blessed with miracles on those fateful days. Yet, aren't we all?

Miracles like having access to a computer instead of being on the streets. Miracles like having family and friends to help you through your hardest times. Miracles like having food on the table. Like having gifts for Christmas. Like having generous enough people that will give to those less fortunate. Like being able to hear. Like being able to see. Like having the medical advances that exist. Like having pets. Like having health. Like being able to read. Like being able to write. Sappy, yes, but lies? No. All true. Miracles come in large and small forms, whether its being able to live another day or see someone you miss dearly or just having a family. All of these things are miracles and even though they are not constantly called miracles they are. Just because the whole world doesn't acknowledge them as so doesn't mean they don't exist. Miracles surround you, me, my family, friends, neighbors, strangers. Whether you are religious or not, faithful or unfaithful, believer or non, miracles will continue to reveal themselves. Slowly and in small places, but no matter what miracles will surround the world.

PictureThisGirl

The Classic Teenage Worries

Picture this: Sitting in a high school chair, waiting for the clock to move faster. Waiting for the teacher to stop talking. You can't focus on your work because it's dull and annoying, because your mind has other places to explore (not that you'd admit that to a teacher much less parents). Sometimes your mind wanders to the future: When will I get a boyfriend? What will he be like? Who will I marry? How many kids? Where will I work? Where will I live? Yet, even though you can't truthfully answer these questions (the answers remain unknown until the time actually comes) you still picture your life and what you would be doing, who you'd be with. Then when the bell rings all those thoughts vanish and you come back to reality. So many teenagers experience this. Yet, they also worry, but why?

One of my classic excuses is: I just want to think that at some point I won't be alone. Being who I am is no day in the life glamour. A classic student with pimples, clique issues, trying to find her place. Classic teenage issues, except that my friends are not in one small town, but rather dispersed around the world. It's not like I chose to randomly friend some people on facebook, but that during the best two summers of my life it happened. At home I remain indoors writing pointless things, day dreaming, studying, calling people, thinking, wishing. Classic events except instead of balancing the time indoors with parties, friends, or just going out, I remain indoors. Many teenagers do (not that movies will show the truth of that because its not a juicy enough plot line: Ooh she studies, takes a five minute break, and studies more.) Therefore, I spend a lot of time alone. Not that I don't hang out with my family, being one of eight the house gets a bit crazy. The craziness fills the empty space, actually it ensure that the house is never silent. Yet, it doesn't ensure a social life. I don't babysit much, nor am I forced to family events. Rather I stay indoors by choice. Odd enough for a teenager. All the time alone brings around the daydreaming, wishing, and endless thinking.

Teenagers live with these pointless worried and by people saying: "Your time will come." or "Just wait, you're young still." or "If it's important enough you can wait." Yes, the time may come, but even then not every single answer appears. Yes, I may still be young, but I'm growing older everyday! If its so important I'm only going to want it more and be more impatient. Yet, in truth, looking at your surroundings makes you realize these annoying, irritating, pestering statements are true. No one realizes the moments that they live, not every second, how can you? If you live to be 86 and there are 3600 seconds in a day and 365 days in a year... That's 1,314,000 seconds! How can you remember each of those? Yet, why not be able to remember the ideas or the feelings of the day before? I believe that a photo says it all: happy, sad, feeling, emotion, hope, aspirations, events, ideas, dreams... A photo can reveal the events of a day. That's why my camera has no deleted pictures no matter how bad I look, or others do we want the moment, the memory deleted forever? I want a moment to live on even when I'm gone, a memory is worth more than $1,000,000,000,000+ so why not preserve it? Why worry about what you don't know? Life's a dance you learn as you go and you can't plan everything out, but you can't risk not noticing the happenings of the day and how fortunate you are either.

PictureThisGirl