We can do hard things (and how kids can carry grown-ups).

I am a little obsessed with Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love. Every time I read it, I feel like I am on a pilgrimage/ great adventure. And so I have read it way more times than is probably normal...

So there is this part, under the "Pray" section where she's in India. She is staying in an ashram, a sort of Indian, yogic monastery. She follows their practices, goes to bed early, and wakes up (at 3:00 am) for a time of prayer. There's this one prayer she just can't get on board with. It's an hour and a half of chanting in an ancient language. It's a hymn of love, but there is no love in it for her.

Then one morning, she decides to dedicate this practice to her nephew, Nick. And so she does. It's a powerful experience for her and for the first time, the hymn flies by.
"The hour and a half was finished. It felt like ten minutes had passed. I realized what had happened - that Nicky had carried me through it. The little soul I'd wanted to help had actually been helping me." (p 169)

There is the cutest little boy waiting for a sponsor where I work. His name is Marvin Adrian. I seriously can't believe no one has sponsored him yet. (I am not sure if it is kosher for me to post his picture on my blog.) So tonight, I dedicated my yoga practice to him. When we were doing core work, our awesome teacher encouraged us to tell ourselves, "I can do hard things!"

Well, sweet Adrian, I sent that message over to you. I already know I can do hard things. But you are only four. And the world is going to tell you otherwise. But know that you can do hard things. You've got a lot of odds stacked against you. But you can do hard things. You can grow up healthy and strong. You can change the world. You know what else? We believe in you. And we have an awful lot to learn from you and your sweet smile.

So while I sending out these prayers and messages to Adrian, guess what happened? We did some crazy core work. I don't even know what we did, but I made it my offering. And you know what? Adrian carried me through it. And before I realized it, it was over.

As E.G. said, "The little soul I'd wanted to help had actually been helping me."

photography

I really like taking photos. It gives me a lot of life. Here are some of my recent pictures with titles.

What gives you life?
Which one is your favorite?

succulent

floating sideways

Find the rocking horse

Canopy

My husband and coworker (work creeping)

Untitled

my life: an exploration of color

chow

"Spring? Are you here yet?"

baby bull

cast iron

2014 Resolution

I never make these, just so you know. I always say that if there is something you want to change, you should just do it, and not wait until a whole new year rolls around.

That said, I was really sick at the beginning of January and spent a lot of time laying in bed and thinking, with no internet and having already watched the two movies we had. (one was Elf, obviously.)

And I decided that it had been a while since I reflected and thought about my life and it's path. So I planted a little seed of reflection inside and let it grow.

And yesterday, January 27, 2014, I decided I did want to resolve to do something more this year.

Are you ready?

Here it goes....

I resolve to look more at the sky. If this resolution doesn't make sense, you should go look at the sky. And maybe make it your resolution too.

Best Day Ever?

I haven't blogged since our wedding.

I have been seeing a lot of wedding decorations/ signs that say,"Best day ever!" I like the phrase because it's so full of excitement. When I think back about our wedding day, I remember how awesome it was. It was beautiful and special because so many people were there to see us make such an important promise. I wanted to make all the people just stay for days and days so I could take them in and be with them. Even still, I have a hard time labeling a wedding day "Best Day Ever". Here's why:

1. It happens so fast. Everyone says this. We started our day out with yoga, and that hour of quiet time was so important to let the weight of the day sink in. I felt very present to every moment throughout the day, but even still, the minutes just ticked by faster somehow.

2. So many more days are yet to come! We really miss something when we don't count the little moments of joy each day. The best day ever was that day when Caleb and I were brushing our teeth and he made me laugh so hard I had to sit down on the floor. And then it happened (at least) once a week for four months. The best day ever was when we went on a walk and saw the sun setting and realized we'd been both been contemplating the same thing for days, but hadn't been able to verbalize it until then. The best day ever was when I hung out with my girl friends for the first time after the wedding and remembered how great girl time is. The best day ever was today when I realized how blessed I am to be coworkers with my husband. The best day ever is tomorrow and was yesterday. It will be two weeks from today and it was last month.*

3. College was not the best four years of your life. And neither will your wedding day be the best day of your marriage.

And now, here is a question for you, but you don't have to leave a comment, unless you want to. What makes a best day ever for you?

*I guess by this description, the best day ever could and should apply to a wedding day. 

Nada te turbe (Are we there yet? Home, home, home)

Nada te turbe is one of my favorite songs from Taizé.

"Nada te turbe, nada te espante, quien a Dios tiene, nada le falta. Nada te turbe, nada te espante, solo Dios basta."

"Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten, those who seek God shall never go wanting. God alone fills us."

It's true right? Have you ever been terrified of something happening? "I hope X doesn't happen. I can be okay through everything else, but if X happens, I just don't know what I will do."

I have thought this many times about things great and small. I sheepishly admit that most of the examples I can think of now seem quite trivial, but at the time seemed like much bigger deals. I've thought about it a lot during this season of engagement. One of the things I was very, very concerned about was where Caleb and I would be living. We had several options, but my big plan was this: I had to be out of my place by August 1. We are getting married on August 31. No problem. I would move into our new place and settle, then Caleb would join me.

This is almost our kitchen!

Welp. It hasn't worked like that. At all. All the way up until the end of July, all I could think of was how much I didn't want to move twice. But the world didn't end. I moved into Caleb's parents' basement and it's actually been great. As it turns out, I am not sure when we will be able to move. Probably not until after we get back from our honeymoon. (I really wanted to be moved in somewhere by the second or third week in August because heaven forbid we had to move on wedding week. And, I thought, there is no way we are moving in after the wedding, we need to have that DONE.)

But it didn't work out that way. And guess what? It's fine. The world is not spontaneously combusting because my plans did not work out.

I have learned a lot during this process about being assertive, something that is a bit challenging for me (unless I really want something, dang it). I have learned about holding my ground when something is important to me and not caving just to resolve tense moments.

I have also learned about letting go of attachments, the things that I think will cause the world to fall apart if they don't happen the way I want. I have learned this lesson the hard way, staying up all night stressed about it, calling Caleb in the middle of the night to review how my plans are not working.

I am in no way finished learning about the dynamic balance and interaction between these two: holding my ground and learning to let go, but I am learning about letting nothing trouble or frighten. I believe that because of this, when the dust settles and I have an extra measure of space to reflect, I will find myself stronger and a little more flexible in spirit.

"Nada te turbe, nada te espante, quien a Dios tiene, nada le falta. Nada te turbe, nada te espante, solo Dios basta."

First comes love, then comes marriage (but in between is engagement)

Some gratitude for all the little things that keep me keeping on:

1. Mr. Caleb himself - because no one should have to undergo wedding planning without the person they are going to marry by their side. 
2. My parents, who have been working their tails off. 
3. A cozy bed to sleep in, in the basement - seriously. Why would anyone make their bedroom upstairs when it could be in a cozy, dark, cold basement? 
4. Routines.
1. Tongue scraping and warm water in the morning (sounds weird, but I love it)
2. Lovely smelling lavender any time of day because it's the all-purpose essential oil: Stress? Need a pick-me-up? Can't sleep? Can't wake up? Dry skin? Bug bite? Pimple? Sore muscles? Lavender is the answer. 
3. Monday night yoga with Caleb
4. Church, talking with friends about normal, everyday life
5. Tutoring my favorite kiddos
6. Chocolate snack time. Yes, this is a (daily) routine
5. Listening to my iPod at work. It's an iPod mini, remember those? It has a click wheel and only turns on a backlight when you manually select that option. The music keeps open a space in my soul. Current faves: Taize, Aradhna, Trevor Hall, Nahko Bear. And some occasional top forty to keep me bouncing on my exercise ball. (Also I am grateful for my exercise ball)
6. WORK! I am so grateful that nothing new and crazy is happening in my work-life. I actually feel relieved to go there sometimes because it means I don't have to worry about if I should be wedding planning. 
7. FRIENDS! Caleb and I have had a lot of help from our peeps. 
8. I am happy I have switched from lotion to oil because it feels so luxurious to put on my hands. And right now, little luxuries are very much treasured. Also, it has less creepy ingredients. 
9. Baths. 

I think Caleb summarized what this time has been like for us, "Normally under this much stress I wouldn't be able to sleep. But I'm so exhausted that I have no problem sleeping."

We are so close.

Same love.

I heard this song today. I don't know how long it's been on the radio, but I think it could lead to some really interesting dialogue... I didn't watch the video actually, but just listened. It's not often that we hear a reflective song on the top 40.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0