I have one final exam to tackle tomorrow morning, and then I will be able to say that I officially only have one semester standing between me and my Bachelor's Degree. It's bittersweet, really. It will come as a long-awaited victory in my life, but I am even now hesitant about what's to come after this precious chapter in my life comes to a close. My time at NU has brought so many blessings that I never imagined.
Including this girl:
Beth. :)
Beth is going to be my roommate next semester, and (as I'm sure you can see) she brings abundant amounts of joy and color to my life. I'm excited for this next season!
Speaking of seasons, now that Christmas is upon us, I've been quite reflective. Christmas in our family has been somewhat strange the last few years, and I haven't quite been able to pinpoint why. I think part of it is that things have just been off-kilter since my grandpa passed away. It was 5 years ago today, actually, and I miss him heaps. He was such a great guy, and he gave so much to his family with love, wisdom and humor. There is definitely a void in our family without him, especially during the holidays.
Christmas is weird now since there aren't any children in the family anymore, either. My youngest cousin is almost 17, and none of us grandkids have started having children of our own yet, so we just have adults around at Christmas right now, which kind of takes some of the magic and excitement down a few levels. It's not like Christmas has lost its meaning - in fact, I feel like it's become an even more reverent and spiritual occasion for me in the last few years since I've had more opportunity to focus on Christ and his birth, but it's just different than it used to be. Not bad. Just different. It's a hushed, quiet moment in the morning when I wake up, not to hurried footsteps to see what's under the tree, but rather to stillness and peace - 'all is calm, all is bright.'
I really want to give people gifts that mean something this year - something that reflects the fact that I am thankful to have them in my life and I appreciate who they are. So, I'm contemplating that, along with these grown-up Christmas thoughts while my brain melts from finals. I'll let you know what I come up with.
If I don't see you before,
Merry Christmas! May you be filled with the peace and hope that Christ offers!
