Happiness

Just looking it up in a thesaurus made me happy:

Pleasure

Contentment

Satisfaction

Cheerfulness

Merriment

Joy

Jollity

Glee 

Delight

Good spirits

Lightheartedness

Well-being

Enjoyment

Peace of mind

LAUGHTER

The last time I saw Grandma, she said all of my posts were beautiful, but too sad.  I'm sorry, Grandma, if I made you think I'm sad.  I'm not.  No, I'm not sad at all.  I don't know why all of my posts have been sad, but I thought about it and here's why:

I have ten stories to write about on my blog about wonderful things that have happened, but never the time.  I'm overwhelmed with so many joyful stories and I don't know which ones to choose.  There isn't time to tell them all and when there is time to write, it's often when I'm feeling low and don't care to be out and about.  That's why they're all sad, Grandma, but here I have a happy one to share and I dedicate it to you.

Last weekend, I was out with some friends from high school and we hadn't seen each other in a couple months.  When they asked me how I was doing, I had to think about it for a moment because I wanted to give them an honest answer.  I thought about all that happened this quarter, the lowest of lows and the highest of highs, and I smiled.  

"I'm doing so so good," I told them. 

"Really, why?"

"Nothing in particular, everything is just so great right now."

How blessed I felt to be able to honestly tell them this.  There are three weeks left of school, I have a horrible cold and I've never been more stressed out than I am right now, but it's still so good.  I told them that school is going great, my family is as wonderful as ever and my friends have blessed me beyond belief.  This year has been a life-changing one for me and I am so thankful that I ended up at SPU.

This quarter has been so challenging and there have been numerous let-downs, but the good things far outweigh the bad.  God continuously provided for me, even when things didn't go the way that I had hoped they would.  What has blessed me the most of all is the community I am now living in: Fourth Hill.  I still remember when I found out I was living in Hill Hall 463 and it meant nothing to me.  Now it means more than anything and I wouldn't want to be on any other floor on campus.

Forty-three women, each one of us very different from the rest, but all living in very close proximity to one another.  We share everything, from books to colds to life stories.  We are there for each other when we are bawling our eyes out, when we are laughing hysterically about nothing in particular and everything in between.  There are times when I want to be left alone, but the girls won't leave me alone and I am grateful to them for it later.  Often, when I want to be left alone, it is better when there is someone by my side...and there always is.  The same applies for when I want to be with someone doing something fun and exciting, when it's really best to sit in my room and feel peace flow through me.

Last weekend, most of the floor was gone on the floor retreat, but I had to work the next day, so I stayed on the floor.  It was so quiet on the floor, but it provided me with a glimpse of what my life would be without them.  There was nobody running down the halls, no music blasting next door and nobody yelling at their across-the-hall neighbors.  These are things that sound so annoying written on paper, but in real life, they are what make it all complete.  They are the things that result in laughter and friendship and the full understanding of each other that only comes from living together.  I missed the noise, but it was nice to pause and realize what a great impact these forty two girls have made on my life.

Without them, college would not have been the experience it has been.  They are there for me and I am there for them, we serve each other in love.  

Anna B, Candice, Mary MG, Missy, Leanne, Kathryn, Alina, Caitlin, Jillian, Em, Rachael, Lara, Lauren, Heather, Mary W, Jamie, Becky, Alyssa, Bryn, Bekah, Grace, Becky Jo, Kristin, Sarah, Jessica M, Rachel, Valerie, Aly, Liz, Krista, Ali, Emily, Anna S, Emma, Megan, Jenna, Jessica S, Dani, Hannah, Nicole, Natalie and Teylar.

There they are: forty-two reasons I am happy.  Forty-two reminders of the blessings that Christ has poured into my life this year.  In spite of the chaos that will ensue in the last three weeks of school, I know we'll be there for each other, because that's what we do.  We sit around and enjoy the time we have with each other, until it turns to ten o clock, and then it's time to do homework.