Yesterday I worked (cleaned house) for an older couple that lives down the road from me. They were laughing over a comic strip in the newspaper when I came in.
"Sometimes, the comics remind us of ourselves." Mrs. S said. I smiled and looked at the page in her hand. It was Pickles, the comic strip about the old couple and the ups and downs of growing old. That made me think: there's a comic strip for every stage of life, and all the dimensions of relationships. Mr. and Mrs. S like Pickles, I like Zits. Zits is about the teenage boy who struggles to get up in the morning and who gets a kick out of loud music and hanging out with his friends. I get a kick out of hanging with my friends, and sometimes have trouble getting out of bed on time. The old man in Pickles has trouble locating his glasses, Mr. S has trouble finding things. That must be why the comics are so popular, and so widely read. Ask anybody, everyone has a favorite comic strip. No doubt our favorites are about characters perpetually wedged in the season of life we find ourselves in for now: Baby Blues and The Family Circus for young families, Girls and Sports for High School jocks, Hagar the Horrible for those who love to hate marriage, Mutts for animal lovers, and Blondie for, I don't know, the people who love sandwiches.
This example of society's acceptance of the unknowns in life and the way we are all able to laugh through tears is nothing but inspiring. We peruse these comics and they remind us that we are not alone. What they contain is usually to close to the truth for us to accept them simply as fiction. Surely they came from the author/illustrator's true-life experiences. Maybe putting these experiences into words and pictures hurt the author/illustrator a little bit, but if their job is to speak to people and make them smile then they must accept and embrace the undignified moments of life as well as the clean-cut and easy ones.

Funny the way it is.

Lydia

"As much as the world has an instinct for evil and is a breeding ground for genocide, holocaust, slavery, racism, war, oppression, and injustice, the world has an even greater instinct for goodness, rebirth, mercy, beauty, truth, freedom, and love. The coexistence of these aspects of human character is a great and universal paradox. That is why the struggle for peace and the need for reconciliation exists not just in Africa, but throughout the world."

-Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu

Funny the way it is.

Lydia

To Write Love On Her Arms { www.twloha.com }

Why does there always have to be roadblocks? Why is there always that turn that comes out of nowhere and throws your perfectly maintained balance off? Why do the good things get thwarted by the bad, making way for doubt and confusion to set in? It's so eay to smile again after something sets you off the tracks like that but that doesn't mean that it is easy to genuinely forgive and forget. It's these "offsettings" that make one wonder if feeling deeply is worth the pain that comes with the expiration of all feelings. It all hurts at one point or another. Is it worth it?
In The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (don't judge=)), we read about Ronnie's deep passions and her deep animosities. She goes through periods of deep hatred towards different secondary characters that she thinks have betrayed her. She hates deeply and at first that made me dislike her character. Then I thought about it and realized that she didn't just hate deeply, she loved deeply too. This story illustrates beautifully the wonders of the ability to feel and the scale on which it balances.
Even if there was a world with no pain, would that Utopia be worth the loss of love and passion and commitment-even when they put you at risk for disappointment? That's something to think about when your heart is stuck between the solidity of disappointment and the rock-hardness of resentment. When you're asking if it is worth it consider what you have already gone through to achieve this hard place. Prove yourself by showing love in every way possible, even during a trial of this sort, and maybe your trust will come again, bigger and more passionate this time.
That's what love is anyway, love is trust. When you offer your heart to someone you are showing ultimate trust in them. Your faith in them overcomes your need to shelter yourself from despondency. The same goes for getting excited about everyday things like concerts or a planted tree, or a painting that may or may not turn out so well. Would it be better to just never start a painting since it might turn out poorly? Would it be better to never become acquainted with someone since they could turn around and forget about you? Would it be better to forget about sitting down at the computer to write since what results may just be meaningless drivel?

Lydia

Sway Hearts.That, my friends, is a Sway Heart. Sway Hearts is a company founded by Katie, a sweet girl who is changing the world one necklace at a time. What she does is make each heart by hand and ship them wherever the order came from. They cost eight dollars a piece (less than one would pay for a necklace from Forever 21 or Claire's) and are just awesome. I'm not sure what percentage goes to this, but I know that Katie isn't making a huge profit, so most of this eight dollars goes to Touching Hearts, and their treatment of congenital heart failure in Nepal. The one featured above isn't mine but I ordered three so be expecting pictures soon.

I emailed Katie after finding out about her company through facebook. The funny thing is that I watched the video on her website ( http://www.swayhearts.com/ ) and was like oh, what a cool girl. I just assumed that she lived on the other side of the country because, I mean, doesn't everyone? Anyway, I was all impressed by her and stuff and then I talked to my friend Emily and we realized that I had actually met her before! She's a good friend of my good friend. What a small world.

Katie was inspired to start this company/ministry by a dream she had. She allowed this dream to carry her through to where she is today. She wants you all to know that inspiration can come from anywhere. Some people get it from experiences and memories while others get it through nature. It literally is everywhere! Her point is...if you have a talent, don't waste it because you can be the one to help change the world.

Visit swayhearts.com and see what the deal is!

Don't you just love the moments or days when you're content? Just completely okay with what you have or how your life is going. During that time, you just can't help but smile and be joyous! I think those are the especially beautiful moments, because when God looks down on us we are actually happy and thankful for what He gave us. How beautiful is that? We aren't depressed and anger and bitter with Him. I think He rejoices in those times more than in other moments. I wonder if it's possible for two people to be in that moment at the exact same time...perfectly content and just in love with life. If there were two people experiencing this contented spirit, what would it be like if somehow they connect? Would they walk through the world with a grin on their face and a skip in their step? Imagine it. Imagine the affect it would have on the lives of those who are around them? How beautiful would that be? Just imagine it...


Brianna

Do you ever have those moments when you're driving and you suddenly realize that everyone is passing you, not because they're all in a hurry, but because you are going 5 miles under the speed limit? And you think back to yesterday and remember that back then you couldn't hardly keep yourself from blowing the speed limit away. Then you wonder what changed between yesterday and today. Today, 40mph was enough while yesterday, 10mph over just wasn't satisfying. Maybe it's a mood thing. Like when you're in the mood to go slow, 40mph is just the speed for you but when you want to move, get away, or fly, driving the speed limit just doesn't do it for you. I wonder if any two people ever have those contented, 40mph moments at the same time. Would we just cruise along, one in front of the other, completely happy holding up traffic? I bet we would smile as other drivers flew by simply because today...40mph is just fine.