for always, forever

It's Sunday night. No matter how good my weekend was, Sunday night always brings that sad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think that's just when good things come to an end, in general. Thankfully, weekends happen every 5 days! And this week is Easter break, which will be nice. All of a sudden this semester is racing toward the finish line, and I'd be lying if I said I wanted it to slow down. The sooner summer gets here, the better. No matter how old I get, I think I'll always get that little-kid excitement about the end of the "school year"- I'll always be a summer girl. SPEAKING of summer and good things, I just ran across a really fun song, and I couldn't help but think of you guys, and the whole gang. So I'm posting the parts that made me smile!

We were young and we lived it up
But those nights never lasted long enough
Looking back, we're so naive
What happened to the days
When we shared our dreams?

...
The sunrise would beat us to sleep
We didn't wanna go home
So we slept on the beach
Oh, the summer never felt so sweet
I still feel the sand underneath my feet

The memories of the nights that faded
I don't know how the hell we made it
Looking back, we had everything
Those were the days when we shared our dreams

If I could go back now
I wouldn't change a thing
Oh, it feels so good
To say...

Guess we made it this far
Guess we're doing all right
Looks like we made it out alive
Yeah, we made our mistakes
But we followed our hearts
Even though we drift apart
For always, forever
Weathered yellow still frames in my head
For always, forever

Every Avenue

i've missed poetry

"...What all of us wanted and what none of us got / What we all had and have and what we all forgot / That we all wanted to be something / That we all became something / And it might not be the shit we once thought we'd be when we were kids but something is still something and like some cats say, something is better than nothing / Feet are smarter than an engine / And dreams are stronger than thighs / And questions are the only answers we need to know that we are alive as I am when I have the mind of a child, asking 'why is 2 + 3 always equal to 5 ? / Where do people go to when they die? / What made the beauty of the moon? / And the beauty of the sea? / Did that beauty make you? / Did that beauty make me? / Will that make me something? / Will I be something? / Am I something?'
And the answer comes: already am, always was, and I still have time to be."

Anis Mojgani

time traveling

I just spent the day with one of my oldest friends. Although we don't keep in touch very often during the semester, when she comes home, it's like I've forgotten how much I need her. And all of those friends. The friends that have known me in every stage of my life- childhood, teenage years, all of it. The friends who've stood the test of time.

When I am with them, its like I get pieces of myself back. I don't know if that makes any sense, but in a time of overwhelming uncertainty and complication, they bring me perspective. Whether its going back to reminisce about old memories, or to talk about all of the crap we're dealing with now, or just laugh- it's like getting to spend some time with the Beth I was when life was simpler. With the friends who have always been there for me, and who I know will always be there for me. I am truly grateful to be blessed with so many loving, wonderful friends.

Today, this was exactly what I needed. What we both needed.

That's all :)

a reminder

Life is good. Even when problems suck. Even when you are overwhelmed. Even when you are stressed. Even when you have no idea what to do. Even you lose someone you love. Even when you make mistakes. Even when your heart is breaking. Even when you fail. Even when you are lost. Even when you feel like giving up.

It's not all about rainbows and butterflies, because if it were, we'd never know the joy from the sadness. It's the bad that makes us appreciate the good.

Therefore, life is good.

Don't forget it.

keep on keepin' on

I'm done with midterms! But that just means I'm in the middle of the semester. The middle of Lent. And I got to thinking how sometimes when we're in the middle of anything (be it a relationship, a class, a challenge, anything) and that light at the end of the tunnel still seems a long way off... most of the time it's a lot easier to just give up. The quit-while-you're-ahead attitude. I've been guilty of that mindset myself. But I don't buy it anymore. I've come to believe that the things that are the most difficult, the most painful, or the most frightening- well, they're usually the most worthwhile. In the wise words of my Uncle Frank, "When the going gets easy, you're probably going downhill." Challenge is a part of life. It's what causes us to either better ourselves, or settle for a "less-than" life. I don't think it's worth wasting a minute of your time being complacent. So my message to you, in this middle that we're in, is to keep on. Persevere. I'm willing to bet that you'll be glad you did.

Everybody knows
or has a story about the first one
Who taught 'em how to hurt
Led their hopes astray

When it's gone on quite enough
And you're sick of staying down
I know what you need
You gotta live it like it sounds

When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, be strong be strong
When you can't understand, but you're starting to see, it'll work in the end
You just got to believe, keep on keep on

I had my ideas, my plans so cut and dry
I wouldn't settle for a thing, yeah
You can forget all compromise

But I was tackled like a wave
And stomped on like the ground
One's who'd never change
Were slowly turning round...

Yeah you can take it from me,
there's so much you can be,
and it's all gonna change whether it's you or them or me.

When you lose what you love, live on live on
When the road gets too rough, just be strong be strong
And when you can't understand, but you're starting to see, it'll work in the end
You just got to believe, keep on keep on

Keep on.

Tyler Hilton

time out

It's been awhile... mostly because I haven't had any life-altering realizations lately. But life is good! I'm on break, and I've had some time to sleep, and recharge, and play the guitar! Which, by the way, is quickly becoming one of my passions. It's so relaxing, whether I'm strumming familiar melodies or imagining some of my own.

I really think that break is a vital part of life- sometimes, especially this semester, things get overwhelming! We all know I'm not the best at dealing with stress... I'll be the first to admit it. But the value of taking some time to step back and refocus is immeasurable! I've been going to daily mass, and reading some good books, and I feel rejuvenated, as lame as that sounds! I think I'll be able to get through the last half of this semester now.

Scratch that, I know I'll be able to get through the last half of this semester.