Happy 2012! In light of the fact that the world will be ending in less than 11 months, I have been thinking a lot about life :) Besides, you all haven't had the pleasure of reading one of Karen's Philosophical Rants recently.
A few years back, I heard Donald Miller - author of Blue like Jazz - speak at a conference. While I don't remember many of the details, as it fell during finals week senior year in that crazy time between when I took all my finals during dead week and then took on the administration of my school to keep my Nicaragua Immersion trip scheduled, I remember him talking about writing the story of your life. This is an idea that has stuck with me.
We are all authors of our own lives. We get to choose if our lives are like a Rick Steve's book, Little House on the Prairie-esc, one of those dollar store novels with a cover that makes you blush, tragedy, comedy, or any other combination - though sci fi and fantasy are a little harder to make happen unless you have a werewolf, zombie, or dragon in your backyard ;) Many times things happen that are out of our control but we are able to choose how we respond.
Just as in a good book, there is an incredible amount of character development that goes on in our lives. We change based on our experiences and most importantly our relationships. All those who enter our lives, even if briefly, will leave an impact on how we see the world. When I traveled home over the holidays this year, I was reminded how important our history really is. As in your favorite book, when you re-read your favorite part, the best chapter, being at home I was able to read through old journals - funny the things that seemed life altering ten years ago - and reconnect with people that I have known - some for my entire life. It is nice to see how people change, situations change, but I am so thankful I had all those experiences and people in my life, even if they no longer have a day-to-day impact on what I do, they have left a mark that I will always carry with me.
And the most beautiful part, in my humble opinion, is that our stories are not limited to 300 pages. Nor are they limited to one genre. Our tragedy can be the start of a new chapter of life, a new adventure. Whether our history is one of rainbows and butterflies or struggles and strife, it has made us the character we are today. We must thank both for shaping our lives and answer the one question, what next?
