What I learned over the last few days.

If the above image doesn't work, which it probably won't, go to this link for your visual clue (the April 25 Baby Blues comic) of the first thing I've learned: It doesn't matter how good your intentions are - each successful child will have less attention to detail than the one before. Conor's first birthday was yesterday. For Taryn we invited all the uncles and aunts and friends and I made sure to make and decorate a cake myself? This time? My folks were around because of grad, I bought from DQ and it only occurred to me yesterday to buy a gift.

I've learned that you can't change people and you probably shouldn't try. My mother - she drives me insane. She talks incessantly, and she loves to eat really fast. So she jams her mouth full of food and then proceeds to fill me in on all the latest details of people's lives who I care nothing about while giving me a see food display I could really do without. I managed to only comment on it once this time. I've finally learned that visits go better if I don't nitpick and try to change her. There is one thing I didn't let go, and I'm glad I didn't. After grad when we were hanging around she started to do her other favorite thing: complain vehemently. She was going on and on about everything that she didn't like about the speakers, the dignitaries, some guy filming with a video camera, and I told her I'd rather focus on the positive, happy parts of my day, because...

Celebration is a wonderful thing. I've gained the ability to be in the moment and really appreciate what is going on. At grad, I relished the fact that I was being celebrated, my accomplishments were being recognized. I was proud (in a humble, Christian way of course), I was happy. It was a great day.

The fourth is that I realized...it's funny, I just paused for a long time from typing. I paused because of the old pride/humility thing. When does one pass over that line that could be called bragging? But I do want to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it, and if I'm bragging, someone admonish me, okay? I realized that I am thought of well, in general. Many students and faculty commented on my intelligence and those who have seen my marks (I haven't yet) insinuated that they were very good this last term, as they have been all along. And that's nice. I like being smart. What really blew me away, though, were two of my social work professors, who told me that I really should think about getting my masters degree, and maybe even my doctorate! I have thought a great deal about MSW, but I really didn't see a DSW in my future. That they think I have the potential for that is thrilling.