Sunday, September 23, 2012

Right & Wrong Threads

Things shake us. Things change. And it's beautiful either way. 

I started to think about  this as I drove to Lexington for an emergency visit last week with the windows rolled down, the mountains greeting me as I left the city, and the sight of dense fog over the river with the sun filtering through. The red tail lights intruded on this beautiful scene.

Life isn't always the script we had written out as children, as high schoolers, as college kids, or even as it was written in our minds the day before. Everything hangs like a tiny thread balancing inside hole of a needle; it could stitch everything together, or it can slip away, unable to be rethreaded again. 

I'm a full believer that everything happens for a significant reason, and when everything falls into place the way it should, you are able to look back at everything that went right, everything that went wrong, even the wise words that you ignored from your parents when you were younger suddenly ring true, and everything that is right, wrong, and suddenly true make everything around you beautiful. 

How beautifully we are flawed.

How beautiful are the moments that went right.

How beautiful are the things that went wrong.

                      How beautiful are the moments when we are so thankful that things went wrong.

And how glorious the moment that we realize that life continues, either way. 

I remember the feeling of receiving good news during said emergency and being thankful that everything that could have gone wrong, didn't. I thought of every single aspect of my life for the past four years that stitched me up to this day. 

Specifically, this very moment of relief.

In a brief recap, I looked back at everything that went wrong, everything that went right, every decision that I made, every decision that was made for me, moving to Tallulah, going to PC, traveling to the place that changed view of my life and what I wanted to do with it, falling in love with Virginia, moving to Richmond, choosing the legal field over counseling, and choosing to go to U of R put me exactly where I needed to be in this very single second of this very single day of September. These few moments of reflection showed the interweaving of all of the threads that God placed in my life and how they came together so perfectly. 

I know there is more to experience, more to learn, more to see, but it is amazing to me how one moment can show you just how beautiful everything that was right and wrong can suddenly be shown in a somewhat flawed, yet beautiful tapestry.

While things are painful that are wrong, and the moment of things that are right can diminish quickly, take a minute to reflect on the threads in your life. Some are wrong, some are going to be right, but all have a purpose. All have a reason.

And when you realize the reasons why, be thankful that whatever was right and wrong stitched you to this moment. Caution: Reality might slap you in the face.

Happy Weaving,
Sarah 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Virginia thus far...

I apologize for not keeping up in the last couple of weeks! It has been a little hectic with moving, working for a week, figuring out Virginia, and getting used to a new school, all within the last three weeks! I'm currently in the middle of writing my first inner office memorandum for my litigation class (certainly one of my favorites)!  I have reached the point of a deep batter, extra crispy, brain fried state, but I still have to pack to skedaddle to Lexington for the weekend. :D Therefore, I will enlighten you on a few things that I've learned about Virginia in the past couple of weeks.

A. Two words: Road Reflectors.

I have learned just how difficult Virginia roads are to drive on during the rain, early morning fog, and at night. Combine all of the mentioned conditions, and what do you get without road reflectors? A blind bat navigating a 3,000 lb vehicle from Georgia. I'm not even slightly kidding.

Most of us from Georgia make fun of drivers from Florida (anyone reading this that is from Florida, I sincerely apologize, but unfortunately, it is true), and now I know why we make fun of people from different states on the road. I've already been yelled at by a man in an old, beat up Cadillac in Lexington from turning on an unmarked one way street. Awesome. I've spun around Richmond trying to find the right road and how to properly get on I-95. Merging on and getting off of the loops on the  interstate has already caused nightmares, which yes, this includes when I have to merge onto I-95 in downtown Richmond.  At night, I have to put on my eyeballs, get behind a car with bright red lights, and follow them as much as I can.  I'm getting used to it, but I promise that reflectors would make life so much easier.

Richmond Traffic > Atlanta Traffic
I think I could drive in a Grand Prix after driving through there a couple of times.
Also I've learned to NOT program my GPS to avoid toll roads. It is worth the $0.70 that they charge you to travel on a safe road. I promise.

B. The University of Richmond is probably the most beautiful campus I've ever seen in my life. I love running there, strolling around campus, etc. Everywhere I turn, there is something different, including nutella gelato at the Passport Cafe. Any school that includes nutella on the menu has my full support!

C. My classes are fascinating, challenging, and are fueling my passion for law even further. There are so many aspects to law that I didn't even know that I would begin to find interesting! For example, even though my brain is fried and extra crispy, this mock memo has been a blast to write. I had my first Judicial System class tonight, and not only was my professor dynamic, but she also included the history of law into her lecture. I was hooked all the way through! My litigation class covers the psychology of clients and witnesses, how to prepare a conference room for interviews including where to sit, what color the room should be, and how to draft memos, pleadings, interrogatories, etc. Legal research will most likely be my most challenging class because of the various case numbers, but all the reason to work harder at it. Intro to paralegal law gives me the chance to argue, which I forgot that I knew how to do pretty well.  Also, I decided to audition for Schola Cantorum, which is already providing me with an outlet. I absolutely love it!

D. Virginia is gorgeous. Everywhere I have been thus far (Richmond, Lexington, and Williamsburg) has its own element of beauty that is captivating. Richmond has beautiful rivers, Lexington really does remind me of home with the mountains and valleys, and Williamsburg has an old beauty that I love, such as cobblestone walkways and streets, original structures, etc.


So, did I make the right decision to move to Virginia? Yes. Yes I did. I absolutely love living here, being in the company of my aunt, having the boyfriend in Lexington, making new friends, having friends already here, and yes, even exploring the roads of Virginia in the daylight hours without rain or fog.

Take a leap of faith- a net will catch you no matter what you decide!

Until next time (hopefully sooner than 3 weeks),
Sarah