Moments D632: First Day (evening) of School

The first day of school, even after this many years, is always a day (or evening in my case) of hope, of some excitement to learn something new (even if it is about taxes), of the anxiousness of meeting new interesting people and where there is an expectation of doing well.

No problem. I can tackle this.

Easy.  I'll have lots of time to dig into the readings and be a good student.

And then the prof says to expect at least 10 hours of work outside of the 3 hours of class to do well.

Dang.  {brushes off a bit of disappointment, knowing this will be a full attention course}

No problem.  I can tackle this.

Moments enjoying your first day of class.

Moments knowing that the hard work you put into it will show in the end.
(just like most things!)

Moments D582: Whispering Ghosts

We all have a past and stories that have shaped our present and make us who we are today.  Some of those experiences are beautiful, joyful moments.  Some are nothing short of horrific.  Everyone has ghosts.

Sometimes the ghosts become our guardians.  Those ghosts give us a sense of self, a sense of security and bring a smile to our faces.  On the other hand, there are also ghosts that haunt us.  Ghosts that whisper to us and convince us (sometimes without being aware) to act in ways that we later question our own behaviours and who we really are.

Today my "big sister" shared with me how she finally looked her whispering ghost in the eye and told it that she was going to fight back.  Over 18 years of trying to ignore the ghost haunting her and how its whispers affect her perspectives on parts of her life, she is now ready to work on ridding herself of the constant taunting.

She shared with me how this past weekend shared the story with her children.  I know only too well how hard it was for her to share this part of her past.  An unpleasant part of her past that bore this particular ghost.  I couldn't be more proud of her as she walked me through her story from the weekend.

Admitting that you have a whispering ghost taunting you is really only the first step.  I know that there will be many a challenging day ahead for my big sis as she faces her daemon head on.  It will be a challenge, but she is not alone in her battle.  Awareness brings her solidarity.  She is surrounded by the love of her family.

Moments hearing a story that warms your soul because you know just how big a step forward was taken.

Moments surrounding those you love with bright positive energy so that they can fight against their whispering ghosts.

Moments D423: Sunrise

Today I was up early. Earlier than I wanted to be. Earlier than I had expected to be. As woke, the wash of realization for the emotional depth and growth over the past few days was with me. What a set of beautiful experiences this year’s trade show has offered me.

I smiled as I watched the early sun peak over the horizon of buildings and the sky begin its shifting colours of gold, pink, and soft yellow. It’s been a beautiful morning and as this song played on my radio, I realized that I too have changed over these past few days. I’m not just a “little girl” as the song lyrics in my ear remind me. I’m a woman with more to offer than I realized.

The dawning of the sun. The dawning of a new realization. How apropos. Nothing today can trump this moment. It’s why I write my entry early today.

Moments enjoying the lingering feelings of an intense few days of excitement and change.

Moments pausing, breathing in the golden sunshine.