Last week I was blessed enough to receive a cruise as a gift from family, and I have to say, I felt more relaxed, pampered, and spoiled than I have in a long time. A small group of my cousins and my aunt celebrated the beginning of summer cruising to Bermuda over the Atlantic with no fear of the Bermuda Triangle ;)
Certain events during our trip definitely kept us on our toes. My cousin thought he forgot his passport at home (2-hrs from the port), which gave us all a mini heart-attack, my sister sprained her ankle on the stairs but managed to wear heels that night for Formal Night, we met lots of interesting people, tasted new foods, tried creative drinks, dropped cameras but miraculously never broke one, made friends with the workers from other countries, made late-night french fry runs, and kept in touch with my uncle in South Carolina when my grandpa (Pop) was taken to the hospital for what resembled a TIA, but thankfully was not.
The day we got back, we visited Pop in his hospital room (the day before he went back home) and celebrated his 80th birthday! What an accomplishment! We brought him his favorite chocolate cupcakes, bright yellow flowers, and a balloon. The MRI's didn't show any sign of blockage, so he didn't technically have a TIA, but scares like this have happened before. We were thankful it didn't happen again. The day we spent with him after the cruise created lasting memories I will never, ever forget. Even though dementia has begun it's very early stages of making it hard to remember things or phrase sentences the way his brain wants him to, the Lord was able to give him the exact words and clarity when he prayed over his family. It was incredible. He just closed his eyes, shushed us all, and started praying over all his grandkids. I, of course, was the first to start quietly crying, not wanting to interrupt him. Soon enough I heard my sister and aunt sobbing. Within minutes later, my cousin Aaron's face had turned red and tears were streaming down his face. The way Pop was able to pray over his family for ten straight minutes was such a ministry to all of us. He touched my heart praying for my future husband, the people around me, and my heart for reaching my goals. What started as a trip to visit our grandpa turned into an afternoon that touched me more than anyone would know. My grandpa has always been such an outwardly apparent, strong, man of God, and this was just another amazing example of that. I hope that everyone can experience something so moving as the few minutes I had that day.
Getting back to Columbia and back to the daily grind felt bittersweet. I came home to (most of) my roommates, my parents, and my lovely Palace home. Two of my best friends had already moved away for the summer, so it's definitely been an adjustment not seeing them or talking to them every day. I think it's going to be a great summer though for all of us, growing a little in our own way, and learning things about ourselves that we didn't take the time to learn before.
Then there's the whole school/future/career planning/grad school deal that this summer will consist of for me. Yes, this will be a crazy summer with lots going on, but I am determined to enjoy every minute of it. Maybe "enjoy" isn't exactly the perfect word. For those minutes that I can't "enjoy," I will bear them without stressing or complaining because the things I'm doing this summer are pretty necessary to my future.
And so came the first week of class... only seven more weeks to go! Add in some GRE studying, taking the GRE, volunteering, beginning the application process to my top PT schools (Eeek! Excited!), working, and a few fun weekend trips, and it looks like I've got myself a recipe for a surprisingly great summer.
Here goes nothing!!
