In Praise of Grief:

This is not an original idea, but in a pleasure-driven society, it is an idea worth re-visiting. To begin, are you happy? If you answer “yes” then congratulations. You have achieved the American Dream. If you answer “no” then walk to the nearest book store, and buy a book about achieving happiness. Lose that weight. Take that vacation. Find that lover. Whatever you do, get happy.

My next question is: why are you worried about being unhappy? Is there something fundamentally wrong or sinful about this state? No, there is not.

It has come to my attention that life would be easier if I just didn’t care. If I didn’t care that my brother and his wife had lost their first child, if I didn’t care that my grandfather died, if I didn’t care that my uncle was in the hospital not responding to treatments for pneumonia, then life would be a lot less painful. Then again, that wouldn’t be much of a life.

Have you thought about how hard it is to love? Love bears all things; love believes all things; love hopes all things; love endures all things. To love is a tall order. It hurts, but it defines life.

To end, I ask permission to grieve. Let me not seek pleasure for awhile, because that is an okay thing to do.

happy new year

Well, we find ourselves in 2009 already. Oh boy, it is a new year filled with a bunch of new adventures, I hope. I've neglected my blog, and I feel ashamed. It's like ignoring an orpphaned child. I've shoved it aside and occupied myself with too many fruitless activities (like facebook---it's way too addictive for anybody's good), but I'm back!

I'm poised for action, and waiting for adventure...the anticipation is tangible enough to taste. Wheaton won't know what's hit them. Everyone on campus will know ME. bahahahhah. Not really, but this semester I am hoping to find new stories, make more memories, meet lots of people, and get my GPA up to snuff (woops, sorry about last semester mum and dad). I'll be keeping you updated as best I can. Until then, I'm signing out.

Peace.

Thought for the day: