and so on, and so forth...

I have a strange obsession with ampersands. You know, "and."

One: I love that the ampersand can be plain and simple, or ornate and elegant. Two: Its meaning is one of anticipation and hope. Something, something AND. Ampersand says, "I'm not done yet, so keep your ears on." Or it can say, "Something really awful happened, I need you to listen." Or "Let me tell you about my amazing day! More than one good thing happened." But most of all, I think this is a symbol of a mentality such as: "I could end this right here, but I'm going to keep moving forward."

Ampersand can be small and timid, forlorn and lonely, loud and bold, or pretty and carefree. It doesn't matter what state you're in. As long as you keep moving forward, keep chugging, and don't let your story get cut short... there is always something beautiful to come.

And.

and.

AND.

pause.

Everything may come to a complete halt without warning. Life may end as we know it but right now, it's not going to, so pay attention.

People say that I'm always happy, and they ask how.

Key to Happiness, #1

Let one kind word or action make your day. Forgive the unkind ones.

"You will be missed."

Beautiful words that made me realize how valuable my time has been.

Today was my last day of interning at Canal Street Elementary. After all the time I spent there, I had never once met a person that was the slightest bit unkind. The faculty and staff are incredible! And the kids. I don't even know where to begin.

Something that never fails to amaze is the resilience of a child's heart. Their spirits may be broken down but their kind hearts and their desire to be love never abate. Open one of their files and you'd be amazed at what you'd find. Beaten. Molested. Neglected. Abandoned. Yes, the kids act up every so often and so behavioral staff and walkie talkies are to be present at all times. Just yesterday, we had city police present. But to see these kids laugh and smile brings immense joy to my heart. I didn't think I'd be so popular in such a short amount of time!

I know you won't ever read this... but here goes. Thank you staff: for showing me what true love and dedication is. For all the kind words and the smiles and the memorable conversations. Thank you teachers: for displaying kindness and grace to children who need you more than anything. To many of the kids, you're the closest thing they have to a parent, and as an observer, their love for you is undeniable. After attending an enormous university with some professors that honestly don't care... I am humbly reminded of how vital the role of the educator is. Thank you SLPs: for being so sweet and helpful in letting me be a part of your clinic. I know more than ever that this is what I want to do.

&Thank you students of Canal Street: you are each so incredibly beautiful and unique. The world has been cruel to you, but there is a God who loves you more than anything. And His love shines through each one of you! You are heroes. I too have felt the pang of broken trust, of abuse... not to the extent that many of you have faced, but I have felt. I have hurt. And it took me a hell of a long time to come around and forgive myself and find joy. Seeing you all find such strength at such a young age has been monumentally encouraging. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms. I will be praying for each one of you.

Sure, I was the one "helping out" on paper. But in actuality, YOU all will be missed.

Fortune Cookie

I hope so!

Hi!

Tumblr was having issues and I was tired of waiting for them to sort out their server issues. So here I am, new blog and all! I'll write more in a little bit. This is me just saying, "hello!"

BUT, I will leave you with this: I am currently obsessing over Jónsi, the amazingly talented singer from Sigur Rós (For those of you who are in to chill Icelandic music. Yes, my music taste is "eclectic", to say the least.) Anyways, I've been playing his music on repeat while I study. Check him out and see what YOU think!

I'll update here and there, so check back in a bit. Have a blessed day, friends!

Much love,

C