So much love

Hello again. The fall semester started, coursework is gearing up again, and life is busy. As is the norm. Apart from all the "normal", I recently enjoyed some travel time, and will again in the coming months. Just some quick trips here and there. And these experiences made me remember how incredibly very so much lucky I am to have such amazing and wonderful people in my life.

Growing up I learned to never expect to receive free handouts. I worked (and continue to work) hard to earn everything I have. I expect to do my fair share, and often more than my fair share. I don't ever want to be a burden. So my recent reminders of how wonderful the people I know are means more than I can adequately express, but I'll try to give you a snippet.

This summer I visited my parents. The generosity and heartfelt desire to ensure I thoroughly enjoyed my brief time there was palpable. I owe so much already to my parents for teaching me all the necessary life lessons, guiding me as I grew and continue to grow, supporting me, loving me. Spending time with them this way as an adult is invaluable and so much fun. We enjoyed an airboat ride through the wetlands, visited the zoo, swam at the beach, tasted multiple ice cream cones to compare the best ice cream shop, saw wild manatees, and laughed and loved.

I was going through one of my periodic moments of huge self-doubt, lack of self-confidence, self-defeatist and negative internal dialogues when a couple dear friends, separately, took precious time out of their days to give me pep talks. Their words and outpouring of support buoyed me into a much better internal mental and emotional place. I don't think I can ever repay their kindness, support, and time.

Recently I visited some friends and not only enjoyed delightful weather, but a sense of welcome much bigger than I expected. I was readily embraced into a beautiful community of friends. I know I disrupted the normal daily life just with my presence, but I never felt like a burden. Schedules were adjusted to accommodate me. Friend gatherings were moved so I could partake the delight, deliciousness, and togetherness. New experiences were planned just because I was there. Too many amazing things to list here. And the smiles, the laughter.

And coming soon I have plans to visit some other friends before attending a conference. My interactions with them are already so full of excitement and delight for being together that I can hardly wait to see them.

So, I implore you to share your love with the amazing people in your life. You never know how much it may mean to someone.

Go forth and build community. Embrace joy. Buoy those who need it. Smile. Laugh. Love.

So much love.