There are so many things that I am excited about and contemplating right now that I find myself at 1:57 am. My logic is this: get them off my chest here and maybe my brain will stop.
Today I hit the mid-exam week slump. I was feeling like this would never end. Then I called my sister. Hallelujah for sisters! She totally cheered me up within the span of maybe 20 minutes! I love her!
Dancing with the Stars was on tonight. I'm a fanatic. Jake Pavelka (the guy from the Bachelor) got the boot. I'm just so glad it wasn't Evan Lysacek! He didn't do so hot this week and, thus, I just had to call-in and vote. So I did. The max number of times. On my phone, and both my roommate's phones.
I have one more exam!!! :D But it's Organic. :(
I also have a project left for Public health that is a 2-4 minute video answering the question, "What is Public Health?" in light of a certain health crisis in America. That's due Friday. I will be glad to get that puppy done. Can I just say that I would write a 12-15 page term paper any day over making a movie? Anyway, I will post it here when I'm done so everyone (all, like, 2 of you) can see the fruits of my labor.
My ridiculously expensive coffee maker shipped to me today. It's a Cuisinart. And it grinds the beans and makes the coffee however strong you tell it to. It's practically a human. Just Kidding. But I may post a picture of it too because I am just that excited about it.
I was thinking about my internship at the PA school this summer and I began to get nervous so I was youtubeing (did I just invent a verb?) the PA profession so that I would look somewhat informed (b/c youtube is the source of great knowledge on . . . .well, everything. jk.) and I run across this guy's channel. He's in PA school currently and is posting these video blogs on the curriculum, the chaos, etc. I began to watch and got sucked in (part of the reason I am awake right now)! I loved getting a glimpse into my future. I can't wait to watch more as he gets into his rotations!!
In 3 or 4 days, I will be on Anna maria Island soaking up the sun with my family and I am about to wet. my. pants. I am so excited! 10 full days (well 9, I fly back here Sunday to start maymester monday) of sun, surf, sand, and ALL of the family! I can't wait to have some good quality R and R and more than anything, to have the time for some super-quality time with Jesus!! We have these great friends that live max 15 minutes away from the house we are renting and apparently a cinco de mayo fiesta has already been planned involving fish tacos and margaritas. :D HELLO SUMMER!! I've also heard rumor of a dinner of smoked ribs. Y'all have not lived until you've tasted Mr. David Defratus' ribs!
This week is bitter sweet because Laura and Sara (2 of my roommates) are graduating and this is the last week that I will live with them. I am so sad that this week is so busy because I feel like our good-byes will be cut short (which may be a blessing) and I will come back to the apartment on the day maymester starts and be so sad that their rooms are empty. I won't think about it. Each day this week, we've laughed so hard that we cried at least once and that's the way we should leave our apartment. Laughing. Because it has been a place of many laughs this year. I've gotten to know Sara, Laura, and Julia so well and they are some of the best people. They are kind and loving and I am so glad I "placed" myself with them last summer.
As you can see from all of the above, I am a blessed girl indeed!
I think I can go to sleep now that it's 2:35 am. Tomorrow holds much organic studying. Maybe next time I post I'll be in Florida, or I'll be back here in Tiger town much more tan and much more relaxed.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Living Older
I just watched a movie for my health promotion of the aged class called "Living Older." It talked all about the fact that only a few generations ago, people were killed by infectious diseases and there were very few people dying of long, slow, terminal, chronic illnesses. Now, because of amazing technologies, people are living well into their 90s and there is a great financial and emotional burden as this group of people becomes quite a large segment of the population. The hour long video followed geriatricians and family members as well as a few sane 90 year olds and interviewed them on everything from living wills to economic burdens to termination of life, etc.
As I watched so many things ran through my head, heart, and soul that I knew I had to vent, so here goes:
-How sad that we even discuss termination as a possibility. What is our world coming to? There was a 94 yr old woman being interviewed who was still an active stock broker who said her son (who has her power of attorney) had come to her the other day asking her to sign a termination policy and she had refused-- I wanted to yell "HALLELUJAH" at this point!! Good for her! My generation has this stupid standard of productivity and if someone is not meeting that standard they are viewed as dispensable. Who are we to judge?!
-I was overwhelmed as I watched this movie at the lack of focus on what these people had done, who they had loved, who they had given life to, etc. It was all about the burden that they are right now to their families and the economy---heck, without them their family would be non-existent and our economy would be that much less.
-As I watched all these old, bed-bound people part of me begged the Lord not to ever let me get that way and then I heard a quiet voice say, "But think about all the time you would have with me?" That's so true. I sometimes get overwhelmed by how much time I want to spend with the Lord and can't because of everyday life and school. If I were bed-bound and had trouble interacting with the world around me because of hearing problems or parkinson's, etc. I would have all the time in the world to pray and talk to Jesus and enjoy my last chunk of time here on Earth. What a BLESSING it would be!
-The above bullet reaffirmed to me this, as well: Every day, minute, second, moment of life is given by the Lord and should be used for His glory and to do His will. The Lord's Kingdom CAN and WILL be furthered from the bedsides of the elderly of this nation!
-I want to go and hug my grandparents! I am so thankful for their sacrifices for me, I am so blessed that the Lord has left them on this Earth long enough for me to know them well, I am so happy that I get to LIVE with them this summer and get to know them BETTER, I am ETERNALLY grateful that they know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and view their life here on Earth as a mission field. I was overwhelmed with the joyful feeling that I have the PRIVILEGE of caring for them as they do get older and continuing to learn from them even in that stage of life.
-I was also overwhelmed with sadness for my one grandparent who has cut himself off from my family. Who will most likely die alone, seeing as he didn't even see fit to tell his son that he was having quadruple bypass a few months back. All I could think, is that I must continually try to reach out to him so that one day he will let my family back into his life.
-This video made me want to go hug my parents and tell them that no matter what, I will take care of them until the end. I am not a merciful person and my mom always jokes that she knows what child not to go to when she needs care when she's old and I want to run to her and tell her that I've had a change of heart and the I WANT that burden and that I'll be there because I DON'T WANT TO MISS A MOMENT OF LIFE with her!
-This video also made me thrilled that for my internship this summer I will be helping to develop a curriculum that examines the psychosocial effects of caring for a home-bound family member. I get to put all the emotions that I am feeling right now into action this summer and hopefully help caregivers see the joy that is in their job--The Lord's timing is AWESOME!
-Ironically a few years ago, a career counselor told me that I would be a great Home Health Nurse. I basically laughed it off because I thought I wouldn't be able to stand the lack of control of being in someone else's home and trying to perform my work, but strangely, it is all coming full circle now and perhaps the Lord is calling me to be a PA that goes into the homes of the elderly and serves them and their families there, who knows?
Whoa, sorry for the long post. I now have to go and write an extended response to that video before my class--should be easy, because it seems that I just did.
As I watched so many things ran through my head, heart, and soul that I knew I had to vent, so here goes:
-How sad that we even discuss termination as a possibility. What is our world coming to? There was a 94 yr old woman being interviewed who was still an active stock broker who said her son (who has her power of attorney) had come to her the other day asking her to sign a termination policy and she had refused-- I wanted to yell "HALLELUJAH" at this point!! Good for her! My generation has this stupid standard of productivity and if someone is not meeting that standard they are viewed as dispensable. Who are we to judge?!
-I was overwhelmed as I watched this movie at the lack of focus on what these people had done, who they had loved, who they had given life to, etc. It was all about the burden that they are right now to their families and the economy---heck, without them their family would be non-existent and our economy would be that much less.
-As I watched all these old, bed-bound people part of me begged the Lord not to ever let me get that way and then I heard a quiet voice say, "But think about all the time you would have with me?" That's so true. I sometimes get overwhelmed by how much time I want to spend with the Lord and can't because of everyday life and school. If I were bed-bound and had trouble interacting with the world around me because of hearing problems or parkinson's, etc. I would have all the time in the world to pray and talk to Jesus and enjoy my last chunk of time here on Earth. What a BLESSING it would be!
-The above bullet reaffirmed to me this, as well: Every day, minute, second, moment of life is given by the Lord and should be used for His glory and to do His will. The Lord's Kingdom CAN and WILL be furthered from the bedsides of the elderly of this nation!
-I want to go and hug my grandparents! I am so thankful for their sacrifices for me, I am so blessed that the Lord has left them on this Earth long enough for me to know them well, I am so happy that I get to LIVE with them this summer and get to know them BETTER, I am ETERNALLY grateful that they know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and view their life here on Earth as a mission field. I was overwhelmed with the joyful feeling that I have the PRIVILEGE of caring for them as they do get older and continuing to learn from them even in that stage of life.
-I was also overwhelmed with sadness for my one grandparent who has cut himself off from my family. Who will most likely die alone, seeing as he didn't even see fit to tell his son that he was having quadruple bypass a few months back. All I could think, is that I must continually try to reach out to him so that one day he will let my family back into his life.
-This video made me want to go hug my parents and tell them that no matter what, I will take care of them until the end. I am not a merciful person and my mom always jokes that she knows what child not to go to when she needs care when she's old and I want to run to her and tell her that I've had a change of heart and the I WANT that burden and that I'll be there because I DON'T WANT TO MISS A MOMENT OF LIFE with her!
-This video also made me thrilled that for my internship this summer I will be helping to develop a curriculum that examines the psychosocial effects of caring for a home-bound family member. I get to put all the emotions that I am feeling right now into action this summer and hopefully help caregivers see the joy that is in their job--The Lord's timing is AWESOME!
-Ironically a few years ago, a career counselor told me that I would be a great Home Health Nurse. I basically laughed it off because I thought I wouldn't be able to stand the lack of control of being in someone else's home and trying to perform my work, but strangely, it is all coming full circle now and perhaps the Lord is calling me to be a PA that goes into the homes of the elderly and serves them and their families there, who knows?
Whoa, sorry for the long post. I now have to go and write an extended response to that video before my class--should be easy, because it seems that I just did.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
It's My Birthday. . .
I can cry if I want to!
Just Kidding.
I thought this is what I would be saying by this point today because of tests, projects, etc, BUT it's been a GREAT day: O chem test went well, projects are in full swing and the end is coming into sight!!! HALLELUJAH!!
It's been nice to quietly celebrate another year of life, to usher it in with a productive day full of long phone calls with family and gorgeous weather! The Lord has blessed me indeed!
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~James 1:17
Just Kidding.
I thought this is what I would be saying by this point today because of tests, projects, etc, BUT it's been a GREAT day: O chem test went well, projects are in full swing and the end is coming into sight!!! HALLELUJAH!!
It's been nice to quietly celebrate another year of life, to usher it in with a productive day full of long phone calls with family and gorgeous weather! The Lord has blessed me indeed!
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~James 1:17
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Spring has Sprung!
Quite a few exciting things are happening:
It's SPRING, my favorite season (despite the pollen)!
There are 18 days of class left!!
I may have an internship! in Charleston! at MUSC! and I may get to scrub-in and see some surgeries!
I am feeling on top of things academically!
There is less than a week until my birthday!!
I am doing a triathlon in July!
Could life be any better? I think not! :)
It's SPRING, my favorite season (despite the pollen)!
There are 18 days of class left!!
I may have an internship! in Charleston! at MUSC! and I may get to scrub-in and see some surgeries!
I am feeling on top of things academically!
There is less than a week until my birthday!!
I am doing a triathlon in July!
Could life be any better? I think not! :)
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