I have decided that I like lists. I like writing them, reading them, and trying to make sense of them. I'm going to try to mkae my blogs in this new format: lists. So, here's another one.
A friend of mine recently found out her father has cancer. As I watched an update video from her on youtube, I realized how grateful I am that my own father is well. There are quite a few things that we don't even think about that we should be grateful for. Here's my list in no particular order:
- I'm grateful that my family is all healthy. Sure, my father is a diabetic and my mom has terrible hip problems, but none of that is immediately life threatening, thank God. I don't know how some kids do it when a parent has cancer. Hopefully, I'll never have to know.
- I'm grateful that I have a place to call home. And a nice one, too. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live where I do and in the house I do, because this is the only house I have ever known. There are many people that don't know where they'll sleep that night, and I'm grateful I've never had to think about that.
- I'm grateful for the opportunites I've had. Not everyone gets to do everything in high school like I did, or go on every summer band trip that cost almost $1,000. I'm grateful my band director had faith in me and gave me the chance to audition for everything she could get me into.
- I'm grateful that I don't have to worry too much about money. I mean, yes, I do have to have a job, and I do have to pay my bills, but if I really need it, I know my parents would help me.
-I'm grateful that if I quit my job and moved to pursue some dream of mine (trust me, I have many dreams!) my parents would back me up, no matter how far it took me, or how stupid the dream is. My parents have always been very supportive of me, no matter what I did.
- I'm grateful I have the best friends in the world. If I need them, they're there for me 24/7. I love them to death!
- I'm eternally grateful for music. Whoever invented or discovered music has my eternal love. I love that music can explain myself better than I can. I love that you can take one single thought and write an entire song about it. I love that music really does bring people together, because music is a universal language.
- I'm also very grateful for books. They transport us to different places, times, even dimensions and let us forget whats stressing us at that moment. How authors can do that, I will never know!
- I'm grateful for all the materialistic things I have, like my clothes, car, the laptop I'm typing on at the moment. I know it sounds shallow, but I love my things.
-Finally, I'm extremely grateful for my family. They're my backbone. My mom and dad are the best parents anyone could ask for. They love me no matter how much I screw up. My sisters and brother are my best friends, and I couldn't picture my life without them.
I know I'm no saint, and I'm not trying to preach or anything, but a lot of us, myself included, forget the small things we need to be thankful for. So, write your own list of things to be thankful for! I like reading others lists and seeing what they are thankful for!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Happiness is....
So I got up early today. I planned on waking up at 9 am anyway so I could maybe go to the gym with Kristyn, but at 830, I just popped up outta bed, grabbed a cup of coffee and am now sitting on my deck, looking at the gigantc expanse of my backyard. For some reason, this makes me happy. Something as simple as basking in the sunshine in the middle of nowhere in Missouri makes me smile. And that got me thinking. What truly makes me happy? Of course the obvious comes to mind: shopping, boys, friends etc.... but as I type this I'm slowly getting a specific list. And this list is pretty random too! But here we go....
-When my entire family comes over for dinner. There's a dozen of us, including my neices and nephew, and I love how we're all loud and talk over each other and eat way too much because my mom cooked way too much.
-Driving into Branson on my way to hang out with my friends. I crank up some music, roll down my window, and just know epic things are going to happen that night/day. And they do happen!
-Wandering around Branson on my off period during school. I go down to the Landing with a book, and sit by the water and read. Or, I catch Kristyn at the right time and go have lunch with her!
-Trying on dresses and skirts and heels at Maurices. I LOVE being girly sometimes and I wish I could afford their stuff because I can actually pull some of it off! I just bought a skirt there tho!
-Knowing that I have an entire group of people that will listen if I want to talk. And then give me advice.
-2 words: Kristyn Pair.
-When I find a new cd/band and completely fall in love with it/them. I get a tad obsessive tho...!
-sweettangerine.net I love all my boardie friends on this The Hush Sound fansite. We need to all meet in real life sometime.
-Putting iTunes on shuffle, and playing an old favorite song, which you promptly become obsessed with yet again.
-Passing a guy on the Landing or wherever, and they smile at you. It's A. a confidence booster and B. you can't help but smile back.
-Going out with my friends to a club or a bar and being the "crazy" one even though I'm sober!
-Persuading Kristyn out onto the dancefloor by going out alone for a couple songs and having creepy guys come up to me... that gets her out there with me really fast!!!
-learning a new song on piano. I just love music. Period.
-Getting in that intense writing period at 2 am and cranking out a decent song in ten minutes.
-The fact that even though my dad is 53, he never gave up on his dream, which is to write sings for a living/ play professionally like he used to.
-No matter how much I screw up or how far I go, I can always come home.
-Going to the lake and putting my feet in the water and just sitting. Thinking. Soaking it all in.
-Getting described as "Crazy, blonde, and my bff" (Thank you Kristyn!)
-Sunday mornings at aeropostale. I go in at 9am, and sweep and mop and have about an hour to myself, and the rest of my shift goes much faster :)
-When amazing things come from unexpected places.
-Knowing this summer will be amazing, because I will make it that way.
So there you go. I didn't mean to make it so long, so if you got bored reading it, I apologize. I just think we need to be happy with the small things. I'm happy about 99% of the time not because a lot of hugely good things happen to me, but because I know how to string together the little things to make one huge happy thing. (Does that make sense?!) I'm just saying having the newest car, or the best clothes isn't happiness, it's emptiness. You'll tire of those things and buy new ones. Things like friends and family that last forever are what bring you true happiness. Those moments of elation when you can't stop smiling, or when you laugh so hard Mike's Hard Lemonade comes out of your nose (yes that happened to me!) are true moments of happiness. You know, I can remember exactly what happened that night, but I can't remember what the hell I wore!
Revel in beauty, fall in love, and bring happiness.
xoxo
Kelsi
PS- I encourage you to write your own list of things that make you happy. I want to read some!
-When my entire family comes over for dinner. There's a dozen of us, including my neices and nephew, and I love how we're all loud and talk over each other and eat way too much because my mom cooked way too much.
-Driving into Branson on my way to hang out with my friends. I crank up some music, roll down my window, and just know epic things are going to happen that night/day. And they do happen!
-Wandering around Branson on my off period during school. I go down to the Landing with a book, and sit by the water and read. Or, I catch Kristyn at the right time and go have lunch with her!
-Trying on dresses and skirts and heels at Maurices. I LOVE being girly sometimes and I wish I could afford their stuff because I can actually pull some of it off! I just bought a skirt there tho!
-Knowing that I have an entire group of people that will listen if I want to talk. And then give me advice.
-2 words: Kristyn Pair.
-When I find a new cd/band and completely fall in love with it/them. I get a tad obsessive tho...!
-sweettangerine.net I love all my boardie friends on this The Hush Sound fansite. We need to all meet in real life sometime.
-Putting iTunes on shuffle, and playing an old favorite song, which you promptly become obsessed with yet again.
-Passing a guy on the Landing or wherever, and they smile at you. It's A. a confidence booster and B. you can't help but smile back.
-Going out with my friends to a club or a bar and being the "crazy" one even though I'm sober!
-Persuading Kristyn out onto the dancefloor by going out alone for a couple songs and having creepy guys come up to me... that gets her out there with me really fast!!!
-learning a new song on piano. I just love music. Period.
-Getting in that intense writing period at 2 am and cranking out a decent song in ten minutes.
-The fact that even though my dad is 53, he never gave up on his dream, which is to write sings for a living/ play professionally like he used to.
-No matter how much I screw up or how far I go, I can always come home.
-Going to the lake and putting my feet in the water and just sitting. Thinking. Soaking it all in.
-Getting described as "Crazy, blonde, and my bff" (Thank you Kristyn!)
-Sunday mornings at aeropostale. I go in at 9am, and sweep and mop and have about an hour to myself, and the rest of my shift goes much faster :)
-When amazing things come from unexpected places.
-Knowing this summer will be amazing, because I will make it that way.
So there you go. I didn't mean to make it so long, so if you got bored reading it, I apologize. I just think we need to be happy with the small things. I'm happy about 99% of the time not because a lot of hugely good things happen to me, but because I know how to string together the little things to make one huge happy thing. (Does that make sense?!) I'm just saying having the newest car, or the best clothes isn't happiness, it's emptiness. You'll tire of those things and buy new ones. Things like friends and family that last forever are what bring you true happiness. Those moments of elation when you can't stop smiling, or when you laugh so hard Mike's Hard Lemonade comes out of your nose (yes that happened to me!) are true moments of happiness. You know, I can remember exactly what happened that night, but I can't remember what the hell I wore!
Revel in beauty, fall in love, and bring happiness.
xoxo
Kelsi
PS- I encourage you to write your own list of things that make you happy. I want to read some!
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