Happy Heart

We spent the last 24 hours with dozens of our closest friends from out college years.   My heart is so full.  Every year I wonder who I'll see at homecoming and who I'll be encouraged by.  The day never disappoints. 

Funny how easy it is to dive right back into meaningful conversation...even with people I haven't seen for several years.  Funny how some things never change: the pep band still has a trap set at football games, Mary is still the most amazing cafeteria manager who ever lived, the beloved choir director still produces an awesome choir, and Kaylene still knows everything. 

And funny how some things change:  the coveted townhouses are no longer "new," professors have moved on to bigger and better ventuers, the stadium is no longer just a bunch of rotting bleachers, and the football team is back to being superb.

Two of the most enlightening conversations I had over the weekend were at a young alumni "reunion" of sorts that I didn't even want to go to in the first place (people, my feet were FREEZING and I was ready to sit on a couch).  Here are my thoughts after these two conversations:

1. People in their mid-twenties are all in the same boat.  We went to school for 4 (cough...or 5...cough) years for something we thought we would probably want to do for the rest of our lives.  Some people graduated and found a meaningful job immediately.  Others of us found what we thought to be a meaningful job but ended up realizing that we are more confused than ever.  Regardless, we're all in this together.  (And those of us who are still figuring out what we want to do with our lives want to smack those who already know...only out of jealousy, of course.)  This trying to figure out what life after college looks like.  This feeling like an adult but not really. This learning how to be in relationships of all kinds after college.  It's not always fun.  Seriously, it's not.  BUT it will be fun to look back at our twenties and all the ridiculous things we did.  Life is all about seasons. It's just that no one tells you about the mid-twenties season full of wondering and wandering.  
2. At my tiny school, everyone did everything.  Well, sorta.  Can't say I ever played on a competitive team, but I did try my hand at intramural volleyball, tumbling class, student senate, and a plethora of other activities.  All that to say that once college ended and we moved to a new place, I felt devoid of involvement.  In a brief conversation I had yesterday with a dear friend, she told me about a sermon she heard recently...the speaker spoke about how instead of throwing yourself into every little activity for involvements sake, perhaps it's best to slow down.  Take life in.  SERVE the people around you, but don't sign up for everything to just sign up for everything.  Dans and I are currently trying to figure out what being invested in a community looks like, so that conversation was definitely food for thought.

I will end this incredibly random assortment of heart-full thoughts with a video that, I think, appropriately sums up my years at Tabor College. Oh the memories.  Enjoy.