I like life at 24. I am learning to quit taking myself so seriously. Life does not look like I thought it would but it is no less full and beautiful.
Here are some snapshots of my 10 favourite moments of the past year, in no particular order. There are a lot of honorable mentions that I did not put here but are nonetheless favourites. It's been a good year. This is not everything that happened in my life, or even the most memorable. They are just some moments I think are pretty special.
1. Pelting my brother and sister-in-law with rice at their wedding reception
I got to see this moment from behind the lens. This entire weekend was a euphoric joy-fest, and Martin and Candice's frantic run through this rice-tunnel made me belly laugh with the gleeful absurdity of the whole thing.
1. Pelting my brother and sister-in-law with rice at their wedding reception
I got to see this moment from behind the lens. This entire weekend was a euphoric joy-fest, and Martin and Candice's frantic run through this rice-tunnel made me belly laugh with the gleeful absurdity of the whole thing.
2. Running toward the prodigal son
I wrote an entire blog post on this a while back. I will treasure this moment for a long time, as a picture of how God feels about us. When we don't think we deserve His love, He's running toward us like a child.
3. Exploring Bell Island, Newfoundland
I had the best weekend in Newfoundland with some pretty awesome people. To be honest, I was going to put "Tasting the best pizza in the world" as one of my top moments of the year, but then I figured nobody would believe that the best pizza in the world is in St. John's. But it is. You can take my word for it.
4. Crossing the finish line at Mud Hero
Is there anything more empowering than conquering obstacles and your own limitations to emerge victorious? And I wouldn't have done it with anyone other than these two mighty women. Yay for positive female role models!
5. Listening to Hey Rosetta! and Yukon Blonde sing "Land You Love"
I had been wanting to hear Hey Rosetta! live for almost ten years, but it just hadn't worked out until this past November. They were touring with Yukon Blonde, and earlier in the tour, while it had been election season here in Canada, the two groups had recorded a song together called "Land You Love." It's a protest song, and calls for a change in government. When we saw Hey Rosetta! in Halifax, the election was over and a new government was in place. There was a really hopeful tone to the night. When they sang the lyrics "When I was a child, I sang the anthem with pride/it stood for justice, peace, and human rights," the crowd cheered. It was one of the more magical moments I've experienced at a show.
6. Finally arriving home
As many of you know, my mom was receiving treatments for multiple myeloma (a type of blood/bone cancer) over much of 2014 and 2015. I was away at school in Ontario for much of this time, and I loved it there, but I treasured the time I spent with my Mom as she recovered in spring 2015. I am having difficulty finding the words to describe how I felt when I finally arrived home after my three-day journey across half the country. Home is comfort. Home is relief. Home is belonging. Being a caregiver for my mom for a short time was such a gift. There is a kind of justice to it: my mother has always nurtured me, even as I was in the womb, so it is right that I nurture her, now. Mom's in remission, now, her hair's grown back and she has more energy.
7. Completing an ill-fated Cape Split Hike (no photo available)
At the end of this summer, my dear friend Davita and I decided to hang out for a weekend. We decided to hike Cape Split. It was raining. We did not think it was that bad. It was. Our phones both got fried. We were terrified of being hit by lightening as well. It was like being in the rainforest in the wet season. But there was a lot of joy in our chats about boys and feminism, even if they were punctuated by getting our feet stuck in the mud or by mad dashes when we heard thunder nearby. There was also joy in settling down later with a warm cup of hot chocolate and an obscene amount of carbs. I am really thankful for Davita's friendship and hospitality over the years!
8. Camping with old friends
It is a truth universally acknowledged that stew tastes 1000 times better when it's been cooked over a hot fire in the woods. These ladies have been spread all over the continent/globe, so it's a blessing when we all get to be here on the East Coast. And it's even more of a blessing to spend some time together with each other and with nature.
9. Canoeing on Lake George
I got to visit Kingswood Camp a couple of times this summer, and one of the times, my beautiful sister-in-law Candice took me out on the lake for a canoe. It was one of the only times I got to canoe this summer, which is too bad, but I really enjoyed being out on the lake that evening. It reminded me of all of the ways God has blessed me. In the summer of 2014, we were on that same lake when my mom had an accident and broke her collar bone, leading to the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. But still, every time I am canoeing or swimming or just sitting by the lake, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace. That can only come from God. When I look back on that tranquil night this past summer when Candice and I went canoeing, I thank God for His beautiful creation. I thank God that my mom is recovering. And I thank God that my brother married someone as sweet, wise, and caring as Candice. It was Martin's choice to make Candice a part of our family, and I am really thankful that he made that choice, and that Candice did too.
10. Any and all moments spend with my "grandson"
I am actually best friends with an eight-year old boy, and that has a lot of advantages. He laughs at my ridiculous jokes and he can eat a piece of birthday cake in two bites. He keeps me honest, too. Kids remember what they tell you, so you better be sure to mean what you say. I have often prayed for the "fruits of the spirit" as listed in Galatians 5, and this boy is helping me become more patient, kind, and gentle every day.
3. Exploring Bell Island, Newfoundland
I had the best weekend in Newfoundland with some pretty awesome people. To be honest, I was going to put "Tasting the best pizza in the world" as one of my top moments of the year, but then I figured nobody would believe that the best pizza in the world is in St. John's. But it is. You can take my word for it.
4. Crossing the finish line at Mud Hero
Is there anything more empowering than conquering obstacles and your own limitations to emerge victorious? And I wouldn't have done it with anyone other than these two mighty women. Yay for positive female role models!
5. Listening to Hey Rosetta! and Yukon Blonde sing "Land You Love"
I had been wanting to hear Hey Rosetta! live for almost ten years, but it just hadn't worked out until this past November. They were touring with Yukon Blonde, and earlier in the tour, while it had been election season here in Canada, the two groups had recorded a song together called "Land You Love." It's a protest song, and calls for a change in government. When we saw Hey Rosetta! in Halifax, the election was over and a new government was in place. There was a really hopeful tone to the night. When they sang the lyrics "When I was a child, I sang the anthem with pride/it stood for justice, peace, and human rights," the crowd cheered. It was one of the more magical moments I've experienced at a show.
6. Finally arriving home
As many of you know, my mom was receiving treatments for multiple myeloma (a type of blood/bone cancer) over much of 2014 and 2015. I was away at school in Ontario for much of this time, and I loved it there, but I treasured the time I spent with my Mom as she recovered in spring 2015. I am having difficulty finding the words to describe how I felt when I finally arrived home after my three-day journey across half the country. Home is comfort. Home is relief. Home is belonging. Being a caregiver for my mom for a short time was such a gift. There is a kind of justice to it: my mother has always nurtured me, even as I was in the womb, so it is right that I nurture her, now. Mom's in remission, now, her hair's grown back and she has more energy.
7. Completing an ill-fated Cape Split Hike (no photo available)
At the end of this summer, my dear friend Davita and I decided to hang out for a weekend. We decided to hike Cape Split. It was raining. We did not think it was that bad. It was. Our phones both got fried. We were terrified of being hit by lightening as well. It was like being in the rainforest in the wet season. But there was a lot of joy in our chats about boys and feminism, even if they were punctuated by getting our feet stuck in the mud or by mad dashes when we heard thunder nearby. There was also joy in settling down later with a warm cup of hot chocolate and an obscene amount of carbs. I am really thankful for Davita's friendship and hospitality over the years!
8. Camping with old friends
It is a truth universally acknowledged that stew tastes 1000 times better when it's been cooked over a hot fire in the woods. These ladies have been spread all over the continent/globe, so it's a blessing when we all get to be here on the East Coast. And it's even more of a blessing to spend some time together with each other and with nature.
9. Canoeing on Lake George
I got to visit Kingswood Camp a couple of times this summer, and one of the times, my beautiful sister-in-law Candice took me out on the lake for a canoe. It was one of the only times I got to canoe this summer, which is too bad, but I really enjoyed being out on the lake that evening. It reminded me of all of the ways God has blessed me. In the summer of 2014, we were on that same lake when my mom had an accident and broke her collar bone, leading to the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. But still, every time I am canoeing or swimming or just sitting by the lake, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace. That can only come from God. When I look back on that tranquil night this past summer when Candice and I went canoeing, I thank God for His beautiful creation. I thank God that my mom is recovering. And I thank God that my brother married someone as sweet, wise, and caring as Candice. It was Martin's choice to make Candice a part of our family, and I am really thankful that he made that choice, and that Candice did too.
10. Any and all moments spend with my "grandson"
I am actually best friends with an eight-year old boy, and that has a lot of advantages. He laughs at my ridiculous jokes and he can eat a piece of birthday cake in two bites. He keeps me honest, too. Kids remember what they tell you, so you better be sure to mean what you say. I have often prayed for the "fruits of the spirit" as listed in Galatians 5, and this boy is helping me become more patient, kind, and gentle every day.
