power shift

This past week we read "Arm Wrestling with My Father" by Brad Manning. This story got me thinking about life, from being a small, helpless baby, all the way to adulthood when you care for your parents. I really enjoyed this story as I found out that I can relate very closely to it. My father had his third back surgery in the past 5 years just over a month ago. This has left him weak, in pain, and irritable. He is getting older and is not as strong and physically fit as he once was in his youth. Seeing him in the hospital bed after surgery was a realization for me that my parents aren't invincible and they feel the effects of aging just like everyone else. This opened my eyes as I was the kid who always thought my parents were like teflon, not being affected by anything. It is very easy I suppose to just ignore this and be the ignorant child that still holds on to the misconception that your parents are invincible. However, seeing something like my dad after back surgery shows me the circle of life and the shift of power from them to me. To make things clear, I am not saying that now all of the sudden I am in charge of our whole family; but, I am not going to be the little kid forever and sometime within the future, my generation will take over and make decisions for the whole family. This realization is not necessarily a good or bad thing, just a process of life that has happened since the existence of humanity.

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Crossing the River meant so much more than that

It meant securing liberty from the British

and providing for a bright and optimistic future

for millions of Americans two centuries later

No one ever said it was easy

looking out at the freezing river

speckled with blocks of jagged ice

reflecting the winter sun

and taking in the smell of the cool dry salty Chesapeake air

as the freezing mist shot onto your face like needles 

It would have been very easy to tell the General to look for someone else to help cross the river

and save yourself from exposure to the freezing winter air

but the call of freedom carries much more weight than a day's comfort

So as they set out to cross the Delaware

hearing the semi frozen waves crashing uneasily against the small wooden row boat

they were not thinking about themselves

but rather the millions of Americans 

who can now taste the very freedom George and his partners fought for

when they Crossed the Delaware

its almost over

This past week every junior went to their homeroom to receive their scheduling cards for senior year. Receiving these cards makes us realize that our high school experience will be over before we know it. I can remember the counselors visiting middle school and handing out our freshman scheduling cards and thinking high school would never end. Now, after scheduling our classes for senior year, there is a realization that this high school experience does not last as long as we thought it would. I always thought that it would last so long I would be aching to get out. But now, I remember the first day of freshman year like it was yesterday. I now realize that you can't just buy these years back and that its important to make the most out of them because they are a very special four years of my life. Even though its almost over, I can still look back at these past three years with content and satisfaction. I have managed to keep my grades at a near 4.0, joined many clubs and organizations, played sports, met great friends, been to awesome parties, and formed great relationships with teachers who are passionate about what they do. So instead of looking back with regret, look back with contentment and look to the future with just as much excitement as you did in 8th grade looking forward to high school.

nobodys perfect

This week we read Disability by Nancy Mairs. Reading this story showed me something. In the story, Nancy describes her struggles with MS. She tells us that her disease does not define her and that she is a normal human being. No human is perfect. Everyone has something a little different about them than everyone else. Sometimes it can be a big deal, other times not. For example, I have a bad back. It sometimes causes me pain and I know not everyone else has back pains. I get over it and try to not let it limit my life as much as I can. I'm sure everyone reading this can think of something you know you have that is just a little different than everyone else. The important thing is that these disabilities, whether quite minor like back pains, or quite serious like MS do not define us and prohibit us from enjoying life. Having something unique about you is not a bad thing. Everyone has something about them that differentiates them from the other 7 billion people on this Earth. It is important to not beat yourself up about it and instead embrace it as a part of being human.