The Year You Didn't See

New Year's Eve is officially the season for scrolling through all of your friends' "Look how great my year was!" collages on all forms of social media.  Now, if you know me, you know that I am a social media guru...I love the power social media has to connect us and allow us to share what we love about the world.  I think it is a beautiful thing.  So, I'm not against the collages for the end of the year and all the sappy quotes ushering in the new one.  I've posted my fair share of them, and I'll probably do the same today because I'm a sentimental person.  I'm not bashing any of that.  Post that stuff; share the things that made your year beautiful.

But here's the thing...beauty isn't just made of the happy moments.  And beauty isn't just made of the big moments--the big game, performance, graduation, or new job.  But that's what will be plastered on all of our "end of year" posts.  And that's okay.  Because the sad moments, the hard moments, the little moments of joy, the exhausted moments, the quiet moments--those are oftentimes more special left unshared with the rest of the world.

But here's my challenge to you: Reflect on those moments and see the beauty in the whole year and how far it's brought you as a person.  See the sad moments.  And see the happiest moments of all--those little moments spent by yourself, or with the right people, that weren't monumental--didn't make it on social media--but were hands down the best moments of the year.

Don't forget the moment of looking outside and seeing a foot of snow, glistening in the morning sunlight.  Don't forget the moment when you were simply talking with a good friend and were overwhelmed with how much you appreciate them--more than could ever be summed up in a post on Instagram.  Don't forget the moment where you were running on two hours of sleep and literally felt like you could fall asleep in your chair.  Don't forget the moment when you watched the magic of theatre unfold before you and move an audience.  Don't forget the moment when you broke down in tears trying to frantically cram the night before an exam.  Don't forget the moment when watched the sunrise and were brought to tears.  Don't forget the moment when you heard a song and it turned your day around in an instant.  Don't forget the moments you spent crying and grieving with friends facing some of the most challenging days and events in their lives, bringing challenges no one deserves to face.  Don't forget the moment when you went out to breakfast with friends and laughed so hard you cried--about nothing in particular.  Don't forget the moment when you felt unsure, afraid, and alone in a new situation.  Don't forget the moment when you sat with friends until late in the night, talking about life and the future.  Don't forget the "happy birthday" wishes to and from friends.  Don't forget the family, joking around the Thanksgiving table.  Don't forget the goodbyes.

Those are just a few of the small moments, the sad moments, the seemingly insignificant moments.  The moments that may not make your "2015 was great" collage--some of them because you'd rather forget them and some of them because they weren't super "significant."  Embrace those moments.  Don't live in them, for they are the past, but embrace them.  And then embrace yourself, because those moments made you who you are today.

I hope that you see that the collage of your 2015 is a beautiful picture--each moment, good or bad, making it so.  Not the collage that's on Instagram for all your followers, but the collage that's in your heart.  The collage of your life.  The year they didn't see.

But you saw it.  You lived it.  Love it.  And love 2016, building the collage of your life moment by moment--the good and the bad, the large and the small.

Endings are beautiful, as are the beginnings that are sure to follow

15 Things I Learned My First Semester of College

1. Do what you love.
I know that's a stupid saying that is becoming very cliche, but as I see my high school friends and meet people on campus, it is so easy to tell who is doing what they love--or, better said, what they are passionate about.  The people who are majoring in something because it is what the "smart" kids do, or because of the anticipated large salary that comes along with it, are miserable.  You can see it in their face.  There are people who really love biology...they light up when they talk about it.  There are people who really love marketing, music, engineering, and so on.  But you can tell when they don't.  They are turning themselves into passive creatures that are apathetic towards their studies and futures, and that is honestly scary.  If you get into your major and realize that it isn't for you, change it.  Don't be stupid.  Be smart.  Find the major that fits your passions.

2. You can grow in your faith.

I thought I was in a good spot in my faith going into college.  And I was.  But I didn't see this kind of growth coming.  It has been unreal.  Don't underestimate the power of community who believes what you do.  For me, I found that community at Christian Student Fellowship with my small group...other people find it elsewhere.  Here's the thing though...you're either growing or falling away.  I have yet to meet a person who is stagnate in their faith since coming to college.  You're growing or falling away.  As with the major, it's not too late to change.  You're growing as a person or you're falling away from your beliefs...odds are you aren't staying the same.  I think beliefs definitely evolve, but you are changing.  Make sure it's for the better.

3. It's not too late to change.
I think I explained this one above sufficiently, and it applies to the stuff below.  Basically, if you don't like what you're doing/who you're becoming...it's not too late to change that.  You're the one living your life.

4. Put yourself out there and opportunities find you.

My lovely a cappella group singing the national anthem at Rupp Arena

Go do things that you want to do and don't care if other people care...because usually they don't.  When you do this, opportunities start to find you.  I've heard all the stuff about how it's important to "seek out opportunities" and "create your own opportunities" and that's true.  Those things are what I'm talking about when I say to put yourself out there.  But once you start to do these things, opportunities just start showing up.  For example, I wrote this blog, and I am now working on another project because of it.  I auditioned for one a cappella group, didn't get in, but had the opportunity to audition for another one that I am now in.  I wouldn't change that for the world.  I applied for a job in the fall, didn't get it for the fall semester, but they are hiring me for the spring because of my fall interview.  Those are just a few examples.  Put yourself out there and try things, even if you don't know how they'll turn out.  No one is judging you and you never know what other opportunities might come from it.  Then seize those opportunities and make the most of them.  And even if something seems to "go wrong," remember...it's amazing how the wrong things don't work out so that the right ones do.

5. Usually the "big" issues are just little issues blown way out of proportion.
I try to stay out of drama, but I observe it from afar (at least as far away as I can get), and I have discovered this fun fact--usually the "huge" issues that people have are things that started as a minute issue and have spiraled out of control and blown WAY out of proportion.  Solution: Solve the easy, little issues and half the time it prevents any difficult, big issues from happening.  Easier said than done, I know.  But it's worth saying.

6. If your friends go to different schools, it's not the end of the world.
Now, I say that from a different perspective, because almost all of my close high school friends went to the same college as me.  But I almost wish we hadn't.  Because, the truth is, you're going to drift, no matter where you go...and that's okay.  But when you're all on the same campus, drifting means that you don't get together on breaks and that you've just...drifted.  The friend groups from my high school who all split up have great little reunions on breaks, and I've had that with some friends from my church and some theatre friends, but, trust me, if you go to different schools, it's not the be all end all.  That being said, I have stayed super close with a couple high school friends who are at college with me, so it just depends on the situation!

7. You will make friends, and they will be incredible.

My small group from Christian Student Fellowship

College friends are crazy awesome.  During welcome week, get to know tons of people and be friendly, but I will caution you--don't settle.  I didn't find my best friends through welcome week activities.  I found them when I started to get involved in things I cared about.  And that's the great thing about college friends--you often share a lot of the same passions and interests, yet are still all crazy different in the best of ways.  Like I said, I didn't have super close best friends after a week...honestly, it was towards the end of the semester that we really started to get close.  But you WILL make friends.  Go and do things that you care about.  Everyone else is thinking they are going to be lonely creatures.  And the first bit might be lonely.  The first few days I was pretty lonely, but you just have to let the friendships grow.  They will.  And when you let friendships develop over time, they become crazy beautiful.  Also, you're basically living, going to school, and going to all the extracurricular with your friends, so that helps.  It is so cool.

Choir babies!

8. Don't forget where you're from.

Stay in touch with your family...do the group texts, go visit, send them pictures, call your mom, find out what's happening in your sister's life--do whatever.  Independence is cool, but so is your fam, however weird they might be.  But,  #8 here is also a shout out to high school.  So many people think they've "grown up and moved on to bigger and better things."  And you have.  But you would never have made it to those bigger and better things without your past.  And those younger students who you were in all your extracurriculars with in high school?  Yeah, they're still there.  And they still love and look up to you.  Let me tell you, I have become my high school choir and drama club's biggest fan.  I am the proud mom at everything, I go back and visit, and I frequently see all of their posts on social media and my heart swells with pride.  Some might say I'm being sentimental and holding on to the past, but I'm not.  I've completely moved on, but not in the way that I'm going to forget all the people and places that got me here.  They are a part of me.  Don't blow it off.  Staying somewhat connected to my high school has been the best.  And if you've gone far away to college, social media is the way to go.

9. Stop the comparisons and live your life.
I struggle with this one sometimes, because it always seems like something is doing something cooler or better than what I'm doing.  And, hey, newsflash--someone always is.  I've discovered this song called "Love Life" by Natalie Taylor and she sings, "When you love life--your life--it's beautiful."  Truth.  You just have to embrace what you are doing and stop looking around.  Runners are told to only look ahead and not to the left or the right to run better.  So run better.  Focus on what you're doing.  Support others in all of their cool endeavors, but don't compare yourself.  Everyone's journey is different.

10. Take time for yourself.
It's really hard to have alone time at college, at least for me.  I feel like I am constantly surrounded by people, and, as an introvert, that's the struggle.  I spent a lot of time stressing over homework and surrounded by people in high school, and it took some time for me to learn that I had to take time to take care of myself mentally.  I personally like to read my Bible and write about life, and before I go to bed I watch The Tonight Show because it lets me end my day with a smile regardless of how it went.  Find your happy space and go there, because you need to take time to take care of yourself.  It is important.

11. Friendship has no boundaries.

When I was younger, I always wanted a little girl who was my age to move in on my street.  There were (and still are) a bunch of boys around my age, but I wanted a friend who was a girl.  Well, fifteen years later, all those boys are still some of my best friends.  More importantly, however, fifteen years later, I have learned that friendship is something that is not restricted by anything.  I have friends from every walk of life, and it is a beautiful thing.  I've learned this just being in theatre, but college kind of reinforced that idea.  Because, even in high school, people are mainly friends with people in their grade.  In college, what year you are really doesn't matter.  Making friends of all ages over the past few years (including before college) has been the best.

12. Saying "Thank You!!!" is important.
I mentioned this in my earlier post for seniors, Dear 2016 Seniors, but it's relevant in college too.  Probably because it is basically just a good rule for life.  Tell everyone "THANK YOU!!!" because we all need each other, and it's nice to be thanked for what you do.

13. Smiling is also important.
Smile at people (even people you don't know) around campus.  Smile to the lady serving you lunch.  Smile to the person working the front desk of your residence hall.  Smile to everyone.  Maybe it'll make their day, you never know.

On, on, U of K!

14. Take advantage of all the cool things your campus has to offer.
Go to events on campus.  Accumulate lots of free t-shirts.  Go to sporting events for free (or for really cheap...if you're a UK student, spend the $5 for a basketball ticket because it's 100% worth it).  Go to band concerts.  Go to slam poetry events.  Spend time at the library.  Your school has a lot to offer you--take advantage of it (you're paying enough...)

15. Make sure to take it all in.
This semester has been a whirlwind of wonderful things, but it FLEW.  Sometimes I just took a moment to look around and breathe and think, "This moment is beautiful.  I want to remember this."  Consciously taking time to just take everything in and live in the moment is so important.

Thanks for a great first semester, college...here's to the next 7 (give or take a few) more!!!

Give Thanks-- 100 things to be thankful for

Thanksgiving.  The word revolves around turkey and good food and family and traditions and football and sleep.  Sometimes I forget what the word "thanksgiving" actually means.  The connotations with it in today's world is anything but what it means oftentimes.  Thanksgiving.  Giving thanks.

Giving-"freely transferring the possession of (something) to (someone); handing over to"

Thanks-"an expression of gratitude"

So transferring our gratitude to someone.  Aka God.  Aka other people.

So here's my challenge.  To myself.  But also to you.  Say, "Thank you!"  Appreciate all the beautiful things in the world and especially appreciate all the beautiful people in your life.  Tell them "thank you" for what they've done in your life and remind them that they are having an impact.  Sometimes people forget that.  And I know you have people impacting your life for the better.  I think we get all caught up in thanking God for the things in our life and the people in our lives.  I do absolutely think that's important...probably the most important thing, honestly.  But, don't forget to thank the people in your life...God loves them a lot too.

Now, if you're struggling to think of things to be thankful for, I'll help you brainstorm.  Here's a list of 100 things I am super thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1. The sky.

2. Shoes.

3. My Bible.

4. Good quality pens (you know, the ones that write better than all the others).

5. Friends who support my faith and help me grow in it.

6. Santa hats.

7. Choir concerts.

8. New York City.

9. Basketball season (sorry, I'm a UK fan so it's gotta make the list).

10. My professors.

11. My pillow.

12. Actually, my whole bed.

13. And going off of that, sleep.

14. Spotify.

15. My parents.

16. Windows.

17. Pianos.

18. Chocolate.

19. Chocolate ice cream (and ice cream in general).

20. My high school teachers.

21. Dr. Seuss books.

22. Christian Student Fellowship.

23. Musicals.

24. Dancing.

25. My theatre family.

26. DanceBlue.

27. Walking outside on the beach at night.

28. Good books.

29. Board games.

30. Grandparents.

31. Pinterest.

32. Sugar cookies.

33. Hot chocolate.

34. Waterslides.

35. Little brothers.

36. The snooze button.

37. My dorm.

38. A cappella music.

39. The Tonight Show.

40. People who will willingly be my "older siblings" since I don't actually have any.

41. Fun gift bags.

42. Those singing birthday cards.

43. Tangled.

44. Painting.

45. The lady who works the front desk at my dorm.

46. Picture frames.

47. Cameras that capture the pictures I put in those picture frames.

48. Water bottles.

49. Apples.

50. The people who work at the dining halls.

51. Kentucky.

52. Unnecessarily long showers.

53. Glow bracelets/necklaces.

54. Bonfires.

55. Friends from church.

56. My home church.

57. My new church.

58. My high school.

59. And elementary and middle schools.

60. The teachers from those schools.

61. Track meets (that I watch, not run in).

62. Lotion.

63. Journals.

64. Fuzzy socks.

65. Theatre directors/athletic coaches.

66. Road trips.

67. Fast food.

68. A home-cooked meal.

69. Stuffed animals.

70. Christian mentors.

71. Cheeze-Its.

72. When you really need to sneeze and then you do (that may have just happened).

73. New music.

74. Old songs that you love.

75. Wonderful neighbors.

76. Bunco.

77. Home videos.

78. Scrapbooks.

79. Chicken noodle soup.

80. Little sisters.

81. Painted canvases.

82. YouTube.

83. The weather forecast.

84. Especially when it says...75 degrees and sunny weather.

85. Aunts and Uncles.

86. Go-karts.

87. Horses.

88. Vacations.

89. A new box of crayons.

90. Cousins.

91. The first day of school.

92. The last day of school.

93. Meals with friends.

94. Ticket stubs.

95. Love.

96. Cotton candy.

97. Puppies.

98. Flowers.

99. Snowflakes.

100. God.  His son Jesus.  The salvation we have through Him.  And the beautiful creation He placed in this world and in my life...aka YOU.

I could go on, but you'll get enough of my sappiness in the coming days.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve/Day get me all weird because I'm sappy and nostalgic and sentimental.  I used to be kind of self-conscious about that, but now I embrace it 100% because God made me that way and He is going to use me that way.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Go eat some turkey and give some thanks.

The Follower of God who Happens to Really Love Theatre

I started doing theatre in middle school, but I had been forcing my cousins and siblings to put on performances with me and daydreaming about performing for years.  It was in middle school that I started doing "real shows" though, and I never looked back.  Except I did.  I looked back a lot, because I was constantly being "warned" about the people in theatre and the arts.  Many well-meaning Christian friends and mentors told me all about how there weren't many Christians in the industry, and how there were a lot of "lost people."  Well, newsflash, there are a lot of "lost people" in every industry.  That being said, I continued to do theatre, and as I got deeper and deeper into this hobby of mine, I found a passion for the arts and arts education and a deep love for the people involved in them.

I loved God, but my life was becoming rooted in the arts.  I was sick and tired of people judging me for my passions and telling me not to pursue them in college.  My plan was to go to school and major in Arts Administration.  I got a lot of strange stares, a lot of kind words about how that industry needed lights for Jesus there, and a lot of "you're wasting your time and talent for a degree that won't get you anywhere."  People didn't get it.

What they didn't know was my story.  That in middle school, I cried every morning because I hated school.  I cried every time my family visited a new church because I felt so alone everywhere we went and just wanted to go to my home church with my friends, now lost.  I felt so alone.  Then God stuck theatre in my life, and I found a community who loved me.  I believe 100% that God uses non-believers to work his plan, because there is no doubt in my mind that theatre and music were put in my life by Him to impact me and allow me an outlet to express my joy and love for Him...and rediscover that in the process.  The arts were my passion, and I was being told that they were this super dark, scary place where God was not.

So, I went into college, chasing my dreams of working in the arts, but unsure of how my faith fit.  No one wanted to shed any light on that.  Probably because no one knew how to.  But this semester, God has come in and redefined what I'm doing and taught me some things about where my passions fit His plans.  Because here's the thing--I don't think God would give me a passion that's outside of  His will.  I've really grown in my faith over the last few months and fixed something.  I no longer love God but have a life rooted in the arts...I love the arts and my life is rooted in God.

Many well-meaning people had made it seem that working in the arts and living for Jesus were two things that didn't fit together, making theatre out to be this dark, dark world where there was no hope.  Well, Jesus is hope, and He is with me, even in theatre...even in the other arts...even if I decide to go into more TV/media/entertainment.  I will admit, I see and recognize that many people in my career field don't have the same morals and beliefs as me and sometimes that is difficult, but I have the greatest amount of love and respect for these people.  Theatre people are extremely respectful towards me and my beliefs, because I am the same towards them...I have never felt attacked or pressured to believe anything differently, and  I love people in the arts.  I love people who love Jesus too.

So many Christians seems to fear the field I have surrounded myself with.  People seem to want to run the opposite direction.  But I have a passion for the arts and a heart full of love for the people in the arts.  I don't have any reason to believe that was a coincidence.  I 100% believe that if "there are very few Christians in the lost world that your field is" that is all the more reason for me to be there.  Who is reaching those people?  Who is being Jesus?  I'm not here to shove things down anyone's throat, but I am here to love like Jesus while doing what I love.  And I am totally on board with that plan, and I'm really thankful that God has started to show me what that looks like.

So, to all the people who warned me against doing what I'm doing (whether it be because of the jobs I will get/money I will make or the lack of Christians in the field)...thank you for your concern, because I truly know you say what you say because you care.  But also, this is me telling you that God is going to use my passions for His glory and to change the world for Him, just as He uses yours.  And I can't wait to see what He does, and I hope you feel the same way.

Love,

The follower of God who happens to really love theatre

Dear Mr. Preacher Man

Dear Mr. Preacher Man by the Bowman statue,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17) This is what the Bible says about God and the people on campus/at the University of Kentucky. God loves the world. That means the people. Those humans you are screaming a message of condemnation at? Yeah, God loves them. So if you are claiming to be carrying out His message/mission/ministry/whatever you wish to call it...you'd be loving them. Last time I checked, I don't talk to people I love like you're talking to the people on this campus.


Now, I believe in a heaven and a hell, and I believe that you have to admit to God you are a sinner, repent from that sin, believe in Jesus and all he has done to save you, and confess your faith to be saved. But I also believe that Jesus came to earth with a whole lot of love. I mean, when he took the sins of every man on the cross and died the death I deserve, I'm pretty sure He loved me. And all the students at the University of Kentucky. And, yes, even you, Mr. Preacher Man. I also believe that God lets us choose. And I think that's a beautiful thing, but also a sad thing sometimes. And it's why I don't go around yelling and screaming at everyone that they are "going to hell," because that's putting zero hope in their hearts. They aren't going to go look for that God.


Truthfully, I look around and see a lot of lost people, just like you you apparently do, Mr. Preacher Man. However, here in the last two days that you've been on campus, I'm seeing a lot more lost people who don't want anything to do with Jesus. Well, I do. I want so much more of Jesus. I want Him to overwhelm this campus and this city and this nation and the individual hearts of the wonderful students here at UK. Because I think that when Jesus really shows up--when someone really does His ministry--there is love. Love abounding.


Lastly, to my fellow UK students...Christian or not, I want you to know that you are loved. You are loved by me, but more importantly by the one who set the sky in place. I'm not going to try to make you believe that. I could say I don't care if you do, but that's a lie. I care. I hope you do. Because the story of what Jesus did for me is one that no one can take away from me...he literally took my broken world and made it whole. And I believe he can do the same for you and every other person on this planet. But when you're seeing the people sharing all that hate, I don't blame you for wanting no part in it. But from me (and a whole lot of other loving Christians) to you--I love you, and I am sorry for the hate shown by some people who claim it is from God...for God so loved. I just felt the need to say something because it would break my heart to see someone turn away from the God who loves them because they see hate. So, I love you. Regardless of who you are or what you do. I love you. And so does Jesus. And He is waiting for you with open arms to take you home and into a life more beautiful than you could ever dream. Take hope, for He has overcome the world.

Change in the Air

I was walking back to my residence hall the other night.  The weather was warm, but a cool breeze was in the air, moving around the yellow and red leaves and swirling them around.  I turned to my friend and said, "There is change in the air" and followed that statement up with, "I need to go write."  Because that's how I operate.  I'm a little odd, but sometimes I am touched with inspiration and there's nothing I can do but go write about life.  So here I am.

I hate change.  Hate it, hate it, hate it.  Ask anyone who knows me well.  I am a sentimental person anyways, but change just derails me.  Change can start an emotional roller coaster that I only want to get off of, and I hate it.  I'm anxiety-prone.  I am a worrier.  I like to have things planned out for days, weeks, and months in advance, and change makes things uncertain.  Even the seasons unnerve me.  I sit outside on gorgeous fall and spring days and there is just this uncertainty in the pit of my stomach from the knowledge that things are changing that is unsettling.  Call me crazy.  Because I probably am.

Seemingly unrelated to the fact that I hate change is another fun fact about me...I love nature.  Particularly the sky.  Once again, anyone who knows me well or follows me on social media probably knows this thanks to my excessive pictures of the sky.  I am constantly looking up at the trees, at the mountains, at the sky, in wonder.

But those aren't unrelated facts.

Because here's what I've realized over the last year or so--God uses the world he created to reveal himself and His plans.  See, here's the funny thing.  The most beautiful things in nature are things that are in a season of change.  My very favorite things are fall leaves, and sunrises and sunsets.

The leaves, so vibrant in color, so alive...are dying.  Those gorgeous trees are about to go into a dark season, but there is beauty in that change.  And the trees aren't worried.  Matthew 6:25-27 talks about not worrying and speaks about how the birds don't worry...God provides.  The trees don't worry either.  God always brings back their beauty in the spring.  So, why on earth wouldn't we trust Him?  Change is natural.  It's a part of a cycle of beauty.

And then my favorite...the sky.  I am the type of person who literally stops what they are doing to go sit outside and just watch the sunset.  I did this all the time senior year.  And if I'm awake when the sun is rising, I'm watching it too.  Those sunrises and sunsets are beautiful because they are changing.  And you know what's even more intriguing???  Those sunsets and sunrises are even more beautiful  when there are clouds...those dark things in life. Change is beautiful. Life is beautiful.


A year ago I was overwhelmed with life and started staring at the sky as a way to remind myself of God's overwhelming peace. And then references to sunrises and sunsets starting popping up everywhere in my life. That was no coincidence. It was a reminder that if God can make something as vast as the sky that beautiful, then certainly he can do the same with my overwhelmed life. And He does make my life beautiful. Every day. Every way.

Genius?

gen·ius

ˈjēnyəs/

noun

1. 1.

   exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability.

I'm not sure when we skewed that definition, but somewhere along the line we did.  We look for and measure success and intelligence by the "intellectual" part of that statement.  We, as a society, care about your ability to do well in the academic subjects taught in schools--the majority of which fall under the categories of language arts, foreign language, math, science, and history.  Occasionally you might run into a school that requires an arts course, but in general those courses that include that second part of the genius definition--that "creative power"--are not emphasized.  I think that's where we skewed the definition.  So instead of going on a rant, I'm going to make my point that geniuses come in many forms by showing you examples of people who are geniuses.  I'm not talking about famous people...these are people in my life, who I won't name.  Some are very academically intelligent, because I value that kind of genius and believe that they are real, valid, and very important.  Others are those who exemplify the "exceptional creative power" that may not be so recognized in today's world.  Both are very different.  Both matter a whole lot.

1.  The engineer.

This is my friend who I believe will one day host The Tonight Show because he is ridiculously funny and belongs on a late night TV show.  However, he is also a math genius.  In calculus when I was struggling to grasp the concepts being taught, he would be asking the teacher conceptual questions--connecting many topics that I will probably never connect.  He got it.  This is my friend who is employed as an engineer at a company in town.  He is literally working as a college freshman in a legit job and doing a fabulous job.  He is fascinated by physics.  When he stops a car, he will tell you the physics behind what just happened--whether you care or not.  

He is a genius.

2.  The photographer.

This is my friend who goes on hiking adventures and captures the world.  He can pick the right lens for the camera, look through it, and see a world waiting to be recorded.  He snaps away, seeing the way the light falls and capturing that beauty.  He can put a person in front of a seemingly gloomy, gross sky and make the whole beautiful.  This is my friend who puts the right things in focus, and at the end of the day, no one sees the world in a more unique way, and no one has the ability to capture it in such a way that others can see that same beauty.

He is a genius.

3.  The neurobiologist.

This is my professor who does amazing research on the human brain, and has discovered things about it that no one else has ever discovered.  She has had this passion within her since she was a child--literally doing experiments since she was in grade school.  She has presented at many prestigious events and worked on many problems.  This is my professor who speaks about things that I can barely even wrap my brain around with such passion that it makes me excited for her.  She knows more about this tool we call the brain than I would ever be able to comprehend.

She is a genius.

4.  The theatre artist.

This is the director who has worked with theatre for young people for many years.  She is the artistic director over an entire professional theatre, knowing the ins and outs of how a theatre should operate better than anyone I know.  She can transform umbrellas into turtle shells and anything else that her brain could dream up.  She can turn her "ninjas" aka people dressed in black into ice cream, flowers, spider webs, and water.  This is the director who can create a fantasy world before your eyes and captivate your mind and heart with a story that is real even when it isn't and take you on a journey that you have never been on before.

She is a genius.

5.  The reader, writer, and all-around scholar.

This is my friend who was on Teen Jeopardy as a high school student.  She scored extremely high on all those important college exams and is close to top of the class, if not at the very top.  She loves learning, through reading and writing...writing full length novels, mind you.  She takes her schoolwork seriously, but has this natural ability to succeed.  This is my friend who is just flat out smart and can do well at school, but also is passionate about things like reading and writing.  She uses those passions to further herself, while still finding ways to enjoy the other academic subjects as well...she's not even out of high school.

She is a genius.

6.  The arranger.

This is my friend who takes a song and creates an a cappella arrangement of it.  He can listen to a piece of music, pick out parts, and notate them for people to sing.  He can take a blank sheet of music and fill it with notes, which in turn takes a room of quiet voices and fills it with music.  This is my friend who has written an original song that brings me to tears.  He has the ability to make music, not only for himself, but for groups everywhere, impacting those lives using the abilities he's been given.  He can literally create music.

He is a genius.

The term "genius" is a broad one, but also a very important one.  "Genius" is not limited to the academically intelligent people.  "Genius" is a lot of things, and I think that it is super important that we recognize that...and celebrate it.  These people that I know are amazing, but they are not the only six people in my life doing something cool--literally everyone is.  If you look at people like that--knowing that they are all doing something unique--you will start to see possibility everywhere.  Tell someone today that you appreciate them and think they rock...because they do.  And so do you.  Go be a genius...no matter what kind you are.

Big Blue Nation: From the University of Kentucky Campus

I was born and raised in Lexington, KY--the heart of the Big Blue Nation.  I bleed blue and love watching my beloved Cats play.  I cheer them on and wear all my many UK blue t-shirts on game day.  All through school, if there was an NCAA game during the class hours, class was put on hold and the game was put on the TV.  In high school, we'd congregate in the theatre to cheer on the team on a bigger screen together.  While other people might say their favorite season is spring, summer, fall, or winter, the favorite season in the BBN is basketball season.  You get my point...I am as big of a fan as anyone.

I am now a freshman at the University of Kentucky, staying loyal to my wildcat upbringing, and I am just as big of a fan as ever before.  Honestly, probably a bigger fan.  Yes, I am going to try to get tickets to all of the games.  Yes, I will be donning my UK blue along with every other student on this campus when basketball game days roll around.  Yes, I will be watching the away games with large groups of people--all cheering obnoxiously for every point scored.  I am still a huge fan.  I will always be a huge fan.

However, this morning, I started to think about the obsession of Big Blue Nation as I passed the 26 billion people (ok, not billions, but hundreds nonetheless) camping out for Big Blue Madness.  I walked by the masses of tents that have been preceded with people clogging up the sidewalks students use with their lawn chairs and tarps--sitting in one line to get in another.  I passed by the "madness" that probably inspired those "You people are crazy" t-shirts on my way to class, and not five minutes later I passed Marcus Lee on his way out of White Hall--one of the classroom buildings on campus.  Now, I pass basketball players all the time...in fact, I pass Lee every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at approximately 9:52, as he is leaving his class and I am going to mine.  I passed Jamal Murray and Isaac Humphries walking home from class today.  I've seen Skal at CSF events.  I've seen several others at athletic events.  Heck, they ALL live in a residence hall on north campus like I do...I could walk over there in about three minutes.  The list goes on...point being, I am a college student, and so are they.  We go to the same school...our paths cross.

Back to this morning though.  I passed these masses of people camping out days in advance to get tickets to a glorified pep rally and then passed one of those players that they put up on a podium...and I felt for him.  As he and his teammates walk from their residence hall to class, like any other 18-22 year-old college student does--they have to pass these people camped out to see them.  These people...the Big Blue Nation...you and I...expect them to win.  We fill Rupp Arena with 23,500 people and, yes, absolutely support them, but also expect them to win.  We yell at the refs when we don't like the call.  We get mad at the team for screwing up plays, missing shots, and...heaven forbid...losing.  We fill arenas, travel around the country, camp out for days, miss work and school, the list goes on...just to see them play.  And there are reminders of it everywhere.  On t-shirts.  On TV.  On all forms of social media.  On the streets...tents lined up as a reminder that we, the Big Blue Nation, are huge fans.

No pressure, Marcus Lee.  Just continue on your way to class.



Now, the players knew what they were signing up for.  They knew UK basketball was a big deal.  They knew the fans were nuts...we are.  And in some ways, it is great.  I think that Big Blue Nation is 100% the absolute best fan base in the world, and I completely mean that.  But, as a student at the University of Kentucky, I am reminded of who these guys we are cheering for are.  They are humans not so different from me or any other college student.  They live in residence halls, walk to and from class, attend sporting events, go to organizations on campus...they are just college kids.

The madness is beginning.  I am so pumped, as is the rest of BBN.  But this year, because of my experiences as a UK student, when I watch the games, I am going to see more than the players, and I suggest you do too before you snap the next time they miss a shot.  I am going to see the Marcus Lee I see every day leaving class.  I am going to see the humans that are extraordinarily talented young people.  Let's treat them like that, not going off every time they screw up.  Because I screw up too. So do you.  So do they.  And it's okay.  Because regardless of whether they make that point...we have the greatest tradition in college basketball.

With that being said...

On, on, U of K!
Let the madness begin.

"Do What You Love"

"Do what you love."

So cliche, right?  Everyone says to "do what you love"--until that means that someone who loves the arts wants to go into them or someone who wants to be a teacher in some small country across the earth follows that dream.  We are quick to place so many judgments in the academic world, and I am just as guilty as the next person.  This blog post isn't about how much the arts matter and how those degrees are just as valid as math and science--though they are.  It is about how yesterday when I was sitting in one of my honors courses, I totally understood what passion was.

I never understood how anyone could major in something math-y or science-y unless it was for money purposes.  "How could anyone actually love doing that kind of awful stuff?" thought my arts inclined brain.  In class yesterday we were discussing what it means for my university to be a "Research-1 University," so of course, I was prepared for a discussion completely irrelevant for me--the one fine arts major in a room full of "normal" honors students--math and science majors.  And, to some extent, it was pretty irrelevant.  Odds are, I won't do much, if any, undergraduate research--it doesn't help me get to where I want to go.  However, one of my professors was talking about her neuroscience research and she was telling a story:  One night, she and another lady were doing research at one in the morning, and the lady turned to her and exclaimed, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I GET PAID TO DO THIS!!!!!!!"  That hit me.  That's how people in the arts feel.  That's how I hope to feel.

In that moment, it clicked.  People are just as passionate about biology and chemistry and political science as I am about the arts.  Now, there are people who go into that kind of stuff because it is "the smart thing to do" or because the jobs pay well.  However, my professor's eyes lit up with that light that is only present when someone is really passionate about what they are talking about.  Neuroscience research sets a fire within her, just like the arts do for me.

Maybe I didn't learn anything relevant to my major, career, or time at college.  But I did learn something about life.  We all have different passions, and maybe your passions make me want to bang my head against a wall, but the passion it sets within our hearts is the same.  It helps us grow and serve the world.  That is crazy cool.  So, HEY YOU...DO WHAT YOU LOVE!

P.S. My next post is going to be a "hey the arts matter a lot" post, but relating to academic life and what we as a society value as "intelligence" because me and my roommate talk about it all the time, and I love our conversations!

Never Forget

I've been debating what my next post should be.  I've done a lot in the first few weeks at college--there's a lot I could write about, but I haven't felt inspired to write any of those posts...yet...they are coming.  However, on today, September 11, 2015, I wanted to take a brief moment to reflect on the tragedy that occurred on this day 14 years ago.

I don't remember what I was doing.  I do remember watching the news.  I remember the sadness in the air...the atmosphere was full of sadness and brokenness as the air was full of smoke.  I remember drawing a picture of what I was seeing--trying to use art to comprehend in my four year old brain what had taken place.

My heart hurts even today for everyone affected by the attack on 9/11...it always will.  That day will remain one in history that scars our nation.  It cut deep, but the love and community ran deeper.  The beauty on this day is the way people came together--all people.  There were no stereotypes, no labels--we were human, united in our love for each other and the nation we call home.  There was love.  There was community.

I am reminded on this day of a song that we have been singing at Christian Student Fellowship at my university.  The words, sung out loudly by hundreds upon hundreds of college students, tell this story: "I've seen many searching for answers far and wide, but I know we're all searching for answers only you provide, because you know just what we need before we say a word.  You're a good, good Father.  It's who You are; it's who You are.  And I'm loved by You.  It's who I am; it's who I am.  You are perfect in all of Your ways."

He is good.  His ways are perfect--all of them.  He knows what we need before we say a word.  How beautiful is that?  We are each loved so much by him.  We are loved, and every person affected by the tragedy of 9/11 is loved.  That is clear, and we should strive to make it known.  The love shown in our nation towards one another on September 11, 2001 should be shown on September 11, 2015 and every day in between and hereafter.  Love that comes from knowing He is a good, good Father that loves us.  His promises are good.  His promises are true.

Never Forget.

Goodbye, Hello.

I am putting this on here so I have access to it online, but this was originally a pastiche that I had written--pastiche meaning that it had my words but also the words of others.  In this case, I had bits and pieces of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken."  I used this for a performance that I did for a senior showcase.  However, I wanted to put a version out here with only my words, so here you go.  Goodbyes and hellos from the eyes of a senior...now a freshman loving every second of the college experience.  The spoken words went alongside the video at the bottom, though it won't fit correctly now without the Robert Frost words.  This will give you a general sense of the piece though.

Goodbye

Nothingness lies ahead
A dark sky
A blank page
Silence
An empty stage
A deserted room
A void.
Full of fear, I look down the road of nothingness
I can’t see the end--only the end of this road.
The end of this road, I should be ready...for the nothingness, I mean.
I listened, did all the “right” things, got all the right answers.
But all I see is the nothingness.
This road of nothing.
But nothing leads to...something.
A dark sky--full of stars, then a sunrise
Silence--full of notes, then a song
A blank page--full of words, then a story
An empty stage--full of a set, then a show
A deserted room--full of people, then a community
A void--full of a creator, then a me.
I turn around.
The road of nothingness isn’t THE beginning.
It’s A beginning
That connects to the end.
The end of now.
I see more than all the “right” things, all the “right” answers.
I see the words, the smiles, the tears, the happy, the hurt.
I see the nights cried to sleep
I see the mornings full of hope.
dI see the experiences.
I see the people, their smiles, their words.
I turn back around, my world within.
The road of nothingness still looms ahead.
An unknown horizon
But something is there
Something beautiful.
The road behind within
The road ahead of nothing…
Something.

Hello.

College Move-In, First Days, and Dorm Decoration

Two days ago, I moved into my dorm, so I thought I'd make a post about it.  I don't have a ton to say.  Move-in day was pretty seamless for me because I was moving in early because I am in a Fine Arts Living Learning Community, so I was already moving in early.  Not only that, but about half my floor had already moved in even a few days earlier because many of them are in marching band or were rushing.  We pulled up and unloaded everything into a shopping cart that they had available to use.  It took about two trips, but we got everything up to my room and then I started unpacking.  The most organizing you'll have to do is with clothing items and bathroom/sink stuff.  Once you get everything unloaded, then comes the fun part...making the space your own.  I'll just post some pictures and caption with what I did.

Bed space!  Bring stuffed animals if you want...lots of people do and no one cares one way or the other.  Pick a fun comforter.  And then personalize it.  I have artsy friends so I had some canvases to hang (with command strips!!!), but then I also hung some twine with command hooks and used clothespins to put up lots of fun pictures, which you can see here.

Desk.  My desk had drawers, so I put most of my school stuff in there so I could decorate.  I put up lots of pictures again, as you can see, and I used fun mugs like my Tonight Show mug and a New York cup to hold pencils.  I also decorated it with lots of knickknacks which made it feel more like home.  My desk lamp and alarm clock are top left. 

This is the side of my desk which I use as an example of how you can really personalize everything.  I used dorm tape (made by the "mavalous" brand) to attach pictures here, and while I don't have a picture of my wardrobe or the drawers under my bed, I plan to eventually put some pictures there too.

Picture that shows most of the room.

The first few days have been interesting, because there haven't been a ton of activities planned.  The first day was kind of rough because after my parents left, I just sat in my dorm and finished putting pictures up and read some of my summer reading.  I met a few of the girls on my hall, but, like I said, many of them are rushing or in marching band so there weren't a ton of people around, which was hard.  I have a couple of friends from high school that I've met up with.  We agree it's kind of hard to make friends.  But there was an ice cream social the first night where I really got to meet some people, and we had another event where we painted canvases last night.  Each day gets easier.  There was a group of five of us that ordered pizza and then we grabbed a couple other girls and went to a movie night on campus, so yesterday was a lot less lonely.  I don't have too much advice yet, except that it is a transition, which obviously I am still in the middle of.  But having lots of pictures and things from home decorating your new home definitely helps make things feel more comfortable and less unknown.

My Late Night(s) with The Tonight Show

I fully blame Jimmy Fallon for my late nights of homework senior year.  It's all his fault.  Because I became an avid fan.  Let me explain.

Tonight Show obsession continued through graduation thank you notes...

I was a part of a rigorous program called the International Baccalaureate Program and it caused me many late nights of homework.  I stayed up doing biology labs, math problems, papers for any and every class--you name it.  For me to work efficiently, I found it helpful to have background noise, so I would turn on the local news at 10 and then the local news on NBC at 11.  I had no problem focusing on my homework with the Kentucky news playing.  However, after the 11 o'clock news was The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  At first, his show too was not an issue, but then I began to listen to it, and watch it, and get distracted.  The good news was, I watched the monologue and opening segment and was able to regain focus on my homework during the interviews.  Then homework nights got later...all the way to Late Night with Seth Meyers.  I soon was hooked on his monologue and opening segment as well.

Some might say that this was bad...my lack of focus that resulted from the shows.  But I don't think so.  Sure, I might have ended up going to bed 30 minutes later and maybe my homework wasn't as perfect as it could have been.  But let me tell you, I always had a chance to smile and laugh before going to sleep.  Before my late night TV breaks, I got frustrated and stressed to the point of tears.  Always.  And while I still had those moments (and probably just as frequently), I was able to smile.  I was able to take a break from the tedious assignments and just laugh.  How great is that?!

While their jobs may seem like "fun" jobs or maybe even "easy" jobs, I truly believe that people like Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers who host these late night talk shows have some of the toughest jobs around.  Think about it.  Every night, you have to come out with a smile and make other people smile.  Even if you've had an awful day.  You have to immediately be likable.  But I think that what makes them so great at what they do is why the do it.  I see this a lot with Jimmy Fallon.  He is always having fun--smiling and laughing and having fun with his guests, with Higgins, with the material, with everything.  But even more than having fun...he does what he does for a specific reason, and it's super cool.  After coming back from a finger injury, he said, "This is the meaning of my life.  I belong on TV, and I should  be talking to people who are in an ICU, or wherever you are...if anyone is suffering at all, this is my job.  I'm here to make you laugh, and I wanna make you have a good time."  Here's the full clip (watch around 4:20):

I so admire people, like Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers (and all the many other late night hosts), who do what they do to serve people.  And it's not just their jobs.  It's your job.  It's my job.  Do what you love to do to serve people.  I do theatre, specifically children's theatre, to serve people.  Maybe you are an engineer or a teacher or or a musician or a doctor or an athlete.  Whatever you are, serve others doing what you do...and have freaking fun while you're doing it!!!!

So maybe my "Late Night"(s) and "Tonights" with Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon weren't just a distraction.  Perhaps they were to show me the beauty of serving people and the beauty of taking a moment to just laugh.  So, Jimmy Fallon, I take it back.  I don't blame you for those late nights of homework.  I THANK YOU for them.

P.S. Please watch these gifs while listening to music...you'll thank me.

Dear 2016 Seniors

Dear 2016 Seniors,

A year ago, I was in your shoes, about to start my senior year.  I was posting all my "Last First Day" posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and scrolling through the posts of my friends who had done the same.  I was excited to be at the top of the school, flying through one last year of high school before adventuring out into the world of college.  I was already stressing over college applications and scholarships and decisions that truly wouldn't be made for almost nine more months.  I was being told not to "wish senior year away" and blah blah blah.  Now, a year later, I am sitting on my front porch on the first "school night" that my underclassmen friends are dreading.  I have seen the sad posts about summer ending, the "wow I can't believe I am already a senior" posts.  I've seen all the high school schedules floating around online.  And yet here I am, sitting in the warm summer night air, still in disbelief that I am graduated, that tomorrow I won't be walking through the front doors of my high school, that all of my friends are starting to scatter across the country to move on to bigger and better things.  I learned a lot during my high school years, especially senior year, but to be honest, these were the most important:

Reflect
Senior year is so weird because you're constantly looking ahead to what's next, whether that be college or the workforce or the military or even just ahead to the next test or school event.  Yet at the same time, you are looking back at all the years of school--of life--that you've gone through.  Something about senior year, especially those late nights, makes you really look at life, as a whole.  That is good.  Evaluate your life.  Find out where you came from, where you are, and where you're going.  But know that today is most important.  Live in today.  Don't miss today.

Love
As I looked at my life, I realized that what I remembered--what my memories were really made of--were the people in my life.  People are so important, and whether you love the people in your grade or think you hate them, you will miss many of them when you graduate.  When they walk across the stage and are handed that prized diploma, you will realize that when some of them walk out of that graduation, they will walk out of your life.  Love them.  Love them all.  I don't care who said what about that girl or that boy--love them.  Don't get caught up in the drama, because there will be some.  People get weird senior year.  Remember that you're all in a state of mixed emotions, and just love people.

Say "Thank You"
You didn't get to senior year by yourself, no matter what you think.  Thank your teachers, your parents, your friends, your counselors, your custodians, EVERYONE.  Senior year can get a lot about "me"--my college, my scholarships, my awards, my graduation.  The attention will be on you a lot.  When it is, use that attention to shine a light on what other people did to get you to where you are.  Tell them thank you.  THANK YOUR TEACHERS.  Whether you love them or hate them, they put up with you and got you to graduation.  Thank them.

Encourage and Support
This also requires taking the focus off yourself.  Everyone, and I do mean everyone, you meet is doing something super cool.  You just have to find out what it is.  Talk to people.  And then go support them.  Go watch the soccer team.  Go see plays.  Read the newspaper that your friend writes.  Support people.  And when they go off to college or to do whatever they may do, support them.

Prioritize
Remember...people are most important.  School and grades matter--a lot.  College applications will teach you that in a hurry.  However, people will be what you remember.  My math teacher junior year said, "Make school work around your life, not your life work around school."  That will always stick with me.

Don't be a Slacker
That being said, don't totally neglect school.  Make memories with your friends and take time for yourself, but remember, you've gotten through kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, freshman through junior year--don't stop second semester of senior year!  Finish strong.  You'll be happy you did when those IB/AP scores come back and you get out of a bunch of general classes in college...believe me, I'm thankful already.

Take Lots of Pictures
Take first day of school pictures with your friends...and last day of school pictures.  Take selfies at graduation practice.  Take pictures in the theatre on random days.  Take pictures of your math class or your Spanish class or your history class. Get pictures at banquets and at lunch.  Get pictures with everyone.  Once again, you'll be happy you did.  I am in the process of picking out pictures to hang in my dorm, and I'm going to have like hundreds from senior year alone...I am 100% ok with that.  You'll have lots of reminders to keep close to you.

Branch Out
I got to be good friends with a ton of people in the IB program my senior year--I felt pretty close to everyone.  And I am so thankful I expanded my friend group in that way.  But even then, I got to senior trip in April and met a bunch of people who I'd smile at in the hallway but never really talked to.  Once again, everyone is doing something cool.  Don't get to spring and realize that you didn't really meet as many people as you could have.  Trust me, you'll regret it.  Senior trip made me bond in a new way with the whole senior class, and I truly wish I had gotten closer to so many people.

Don't Wish It Away
"Oh, I won't!" you tell me, as I told many people.  But you will.  You'll wish it away when homework overloads you.  You'll wish it away as college plans become real and very exciting.  You'll wish it away when your teachers don't seem to get that "senioritis" is a very real thing.  You'll wish it away when the underclassmen are acting stupid (the same way you did three years ago).  You'll wish it away when you're having an awful day (and I had a lot of those...they happen...maybe a lot).  But in those moments, look around at your school, your classmates, your teachers, your sports team, your choir, your theatre group, your club...and remember that you only have a limited number of days with them.  Because all of a sudden you'll be sitting outside on the summer night that is "the first school night" for everyone else and realize that you blinked.  You looked ahead to college and all of a sudden it wasn't a year away, it is a week away.  Many of your classmates are headed away, your teachers are headed back where you aren't, your choir or sports team or theatre group is continuing on...and you aren't there.  I'm sure it'll only get realer for me from here, but it's very weird.  I am SO SO SO excited for college and everything that is ahead, but I do wish I had savored the moments that are now only memories.  I'm leaving it behind, carrying it in my heart, and I can't wait to come back and see how my school has thrived...how my underclassmen have thrived.  But don't wish it away.  I promise, the time will pass...you'll get to graduation faster than you can even fathom.  Enjoy today.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy it.

Love,
Erin, Creek Class of '15

TC IB Class of 2015

Friendship Heals

While the Wizard of Oz has been over for a few weeks in my life, it is a classic film that almost everyone knows, and I did a lot of deep thinking about the character relations within it.  These are not only relevant, but I think the relationships are very intriguing for anyone who loves the movie, so I thought I'd share.

Toto

Toto may be a dog, but he is certainly Dorothy's best friend, not an inanimate object.  The fact of the matter is that while the other characters are, in essence, with Dorothy the whole time, Toto is never-changing.  Toto is the one who goes through the entire journey.  Toto is the reason things happen.  He brings the friends to rescue Dorothy.  He discovers the wizard.  Toto matters.  Toto is the best friend we all want.  He is the prime example of man's best friend--looking out for what Dorothy wants and never leaving her side except to save her.

Bel Canto Photography

Scarecrow

Scarecrow is so dear to Dorothy because, in Oz, he is the only one there the whole time. Despite his lack of brains, he knows what to do in every situation.  He is there when Dorothy meets each of the other friends, and their friendship's longevity is what makes it so incredibly crucial.  When saying goodbye, Dorothy says, "Scarecrow.  You were my first friend here.  I think maybe I'll miss you most of all."  They are best friends from the moment they meet, and their special friendship is so valuable and crucial to why Dorothy can continue on her journey...she has someone by her side.

Tin Man

I think Dorothy feels the need to help Tin Man even more than the others perhaps, because while the farmhands that are Scarecrow and Lion just don't have a brain and courage, Dorothy's harsh words are what leads Tin Man's farmhand to say at the start of the show, "Don't say that, Dorothy.  You make me feel terrible inside, like my heart was torn out."  Unlike with the others, she is the reason he is lacking.  While in reality, Tin Man has a huge heart, full of love for Dorothy and the friends, Dorothy feels the need to help him due to the past life in her subconscious.  The love Tin Man is full of makes his friendship so important to Dorothy.

Lion

Last, but certainly not least, is the sweet Lion.  I think the bond that exists between him and Dorothy is so strong because of the way they look out for each other.  While the other friends are more independent, Dorothy has to look out for the Lion more and make sure he is tagging along and keeping up as much courage as possible.  Despite his lack of courage, Lion begins to look out for Dorothy as well, showing just how deep their friendship is.  I personally connected to Lion because I often lack courage and am filled with anxiety.  The lesson is that friendship helps heal that.

Friendship Heals

Friendship heals the Lion.  The friends help him gain courage.  Friendship heals the Tin Man. The friends help him gain a heart.  Friendship heals the Scarecrow.  The friends help him gain a brain.  And friendship heals Dorothy.  The friends help her gain a home.

Sometimes my brain doesn't work and I get filled with fear and a lack of courage, making it hard to love/feel loved.  However, this summer (and throughout my life in general), friendship healed that.  Friendship gives me a head full of the knowledge that I matter--that I do have the courage I need to get through life.  Friendship gives me people to love with everything in me, and feel that love in return.  Friendship gives me a home.  God has done the same thing, for I am a friend of God.  And I am beyond grateful that He placed friends in my life this summer and through my life in theatre and school.  As college nears, and my friends begin to part ways, I am grateful.  Friendship heals.