Time for Reflecting

This is a time of year when I usually reflect on the year and what it has meant for me. I am still processing all that has happened this year and all that I have learned through my experiences and relationships. Many things have been made clear to me and make more sense now as to why they happen, even though they are difficult. Everything has a purpose and whether or not that purpose is good or bad, you learn. And oh, have I learned.

Not only have I learned, but I have experienced this year. I have gone through much more than I thought I could endure, but I made it through and that empowers me. I can celebrate amongst chaos and confusion. Not everything looks beautiful when it first blooms, but eventually you wake up finding yourself amongst a garden of lovely flowers. It is only then that you see what has been growing around you. I have finally woken up and my garden is glorious.

My mind, body, and soul have become places where I feel safe and I know that I can run to them when I see something questionable on the horizon. I can see that this life is full of surprises and twists that you are blindsided by. And those are the moments when I can only throw my head back and laugh because life can seem so predictable until those instances sweep in and take the breath right out of your throat. This past month alone has captured my whole respiratory system as I revel is how beautiful surprises can be, and I have truly found a beautiful surprise.

As the school year closes, I will continue to reflect on what it means to be faithful and calm amongst the college stress of end of the year finals. But I have faith that all will be well and I will return home with a smile on my face and a newfound appreciation for my growth in maturity. I look forward to having a summer to reflect on how my own person has changed this year and just how I got to the place I am in now.

Always remember that life is beautiful. When it does not seem that way, close your eyes and know that when you open them again, you will be surrounded by a garden that was being cultivated all the while you struggled. There is beauty everywhere and there is hope in everything.