Emotions
By A. Potter
They live within all of us
yet some do not see -
Others feel...
Others dream...
To explain them we try
yet some do not see -
Understand...
Interpret...
They are many, good and bad
yet some do not see -
Others jump, scream "joy"...
Others black, dark "weep"...
To thrive we must understand
for then we will see.
Interpret...
Believe.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
The moral of the story: Day #1
I can't figure out how to start writing about the first 3 months of being married. Should I talk about all the fun, the laughs, the stories we'll remember forever? Should I talk about the current trials and how we're pushing through? Past trials and how we made it through?
There's so much I could say but figuring out what to say and how to say it in a way that will keep you reading on, that's my challenge. First, I could probably tell you how Day #1 as a married couple turned out not quite as expected...we left Atlanta for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic early Sunday morning. As soon as the plane touched down on DR soil, Randall suddenly says, "Where's my wallet?" After waiting on the crew to search the plane and hoping the Delta office was still open at the airport, we left discouraged only to found out we missed our shuttle to our hotel. When we later got on another bus to the hotel, we arrived with only 3 bags instead of 4. So, one wallet and one suitcase down, we started Day #1 as Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Some people may think of that as a-not-so-good-way to start Day #1, but we rolled with it. We did what we had to...made calls to the US to cancel all the cards in the wallet, followed up with the bell man on the missing suitcase, and contacted Delta lost and found in Atlanta and Punta Cana. And, even though that's not how we wanted to spend our first afternoon/evening, it paid off. The missing suitcase was returned to us later that day and the wallet was waiting for us in Delta lost and found when we returned to Atlanta one week later.
And I think that's what marriage is about. I think we had a great start in that way...learning that life sometimes gives you lemons at the seemingly most inopportune time. But, the point is, we always have a way to move onward and upward, and Randall & I share that goal. So when we had our first fight as husband and wife and realized the myth of newlywed bliss is just that, a myth, we did what we had to do and worked through it. Now, with Randall on day 15 of 12-15+ hour days (weekends, too!), the trials continue.
We've worked through a lot of things since then. Some easier than others. Some stupider than others. At the end of the day, the wallet and the suitcase weren't that big of a deal. If they had been lost, we would have moved on and been okay. At the time, though, it seemed like a much bigger deal, especially when the lost suitcase seemed to multiply the tension. And I think that's how it is with most things you go through in life with your spouse, or your best friend, or your mother, brother, sister, father, whoever. When potential conflict/stress arises, we are tempted to think DISASTER without really considering the aftermath of the event. Or if we do consider it, we think its effects will be far more outreaching than they actually are in most cases.
One of my life mottos is "One Step at a Time"...just taking everything as it comes, one thing at a time. Even though it seems simple, it's not that easy to remember in the heat of the moment. Marriage isn't necessarily hard, but life is. People disappoint you, jobs don't work out the way we think they should, etcetera, etcetera. And biblegateway.com's verse of the day, sums up everything I want to say. God is awesome :)
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”- Revelation 21: 2-4
There's so much I could say but figuring out what to say and how to say it in a way that will keep you reading on, that's my challenge. First, I could probably tell you how Day #1 as a married couple turned out not quite as expected...we left Atlanta for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic early Sunday morning. As soon as the plane touched down on DR soil, Randall suddenly says, "Where's my wallet?" After waiting on the crew to search the plane and hoping the Delta office was still open at the airport, we left discouraged only to found out we missed our shuttle to our hotel. When we later got on another bus to the hotel, we arrived with only 3 bags instead of 4. So, one wallet and one suitcase down, we started Day #1 as Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Some people may think of that as a-not-so-good-way to start Day #1, but we rolled with it. We did what we had to...made calls to the US to cancel all the cards in the wallet, followed up with the bell man on the missing suitcase, and contacted Delta lost and found in Atlanta and Punta Cana. And, even though that's not how we wanted to spend our first afternoon/evening, it paid off. The missing suitcase was returned to us later that day and the wallet was waiting for us in Delta lost and found when we returned to Atlanta one week later.
And I think that's what marriage is about. I think we had a great start in that way...learning that life sometimes gives you lemons at the seemingly most inopportune time. But, the point is, we always have a way to move onward and upward, and Randall & I share that goal. So when we had our first fight as husband and wife and realized the myth of newlywed bliss is just that, a myth, we did what we had to do and worked through it. Now, with Randall on day 15 of 12-15+ hour days (weekends, too!), the trials continue.
We've worked through a lot of things since then. Some easier than others. Some stupider than others. At the end of the day, the wallet and the suitcase weren't that big of a deal. If they had been lost, we would have moved on and been okay. At the time, though, it seemed like a much bigger deal, especially when the lost suitcase seemed to multiply the tension. And I think that's how it is with most things you go through in life with your spouse, or your best friend, or your mother, brother, sister, father, whoever. When potential conflict/stress arises, we are tempted to think DISASTER without really considering the aftermath of the event. Or if we do consider it, we think its effects will be far more outreaching than they actually are in most cases.
One of my life mottos is "One Step at a Time"...just taking everything as it comes, one thing at a time. Even though it seems simple, it's not that easy to remember in the heat of the moment. Marriage isn't necessarily hard, but life is. People disappoint you, jobs don't work out the way we think they should, etcetera, etcetera. And biblegateway.com's verse of the day, sums up everything I want to say. God is awesome :)
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”- Revelation 21: 2-4
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Getting Married : Studying Abroad
So, what does it feel like to be getting married in a week and a half...11 days...264 hours...15840 minutes...
First of all, let me say that I don't actually have the countdown in hours and minutes...Weeks and days? Yes. And soon to be only days...yes! I just thought I'd do some quick math for a little fun!
But what does it feel like to know that I'm getting married and making the biggest decision of my life soooooo soon??? Well, actually it feels very surreal. Randall & I were talking last night and it feels like it hasn't totally sunk in. I mean, yes, I'M EXCITED! Yes, I know that this is a very big deal. Yes, I know that my life is about to change forever in a very big way.
It's kinda funny though because I've been excited since our first date...I've known that getting into a relationship at this point in my life was a very big deal...I knew that no matter what happened with Randall & I's dating relationship, that my life would change because of him. So, I'm not exactly sure what feels surreal...I finally get to wear the white dress that I've dreamed of wearing since I was a little girl, I finally get to walk down the aisle on my daddy's arm, I finally get to stand up before God and my family and friends and make a commitment to my best friend that isn't an easy one to keep. And I'm excited about that. I'm excited about the challenge that marriage will be. Maybe the surreal part is finally reaching this monumental goal that you've dreamed about your whole life....
Okay, so maybe it's kinda like when I was studying abroad in Spain and Argentina...I knew that my time there was changing me in big ways, that I was making memories and friends that would last a lifetime, that I was learning a new language that was challenging and didn't always make sense. It's like when you're living in a moment that you know is so big for you as a person and for the direction of the rest of your life, that moment is surreal. So, it's the same thing with getting married...I know that my time with Randall now and forever has and will continue to change me in big ways, that I will be making memories on February 21 and for many days after with the people most important to me, and that I have been and will continue to learn a new, challenging and sometimes confusing language - the language of love.
It's so cool because I never thought of this metaphor before...it just suddenly came to me.
Studying abroad : Language Learning as Getting Married : Love Learning
I don't know if that's a correct little word puzzle. I was never good at those on the SATs, but I know my analogy works. It's like the light bulb just went on in my head. It feels surreal and really happy and joyous and buzzing with excitement all at the same time because it is this major landmark of life. And this is probably one of just many (hopefully) exciting landmarks to come in the life of Anna & Randall.
So, there.
That's how it feels to be getting married in 11 days. It feels like studying abroad.
Disclaimer: The analogy is not to say that getting married is as temporary or superfluous as studying abroad. It's to say that getting married is about big changes and challenges just like studying abroad.
...maybe I'll write more about learning a second language and learning the language of love later...could be an interesting topic to explore especially with my newfound career path...
First of all, let me say that I don't actually have the countdown in hours and minutes...Weeks and days? Yes. And soon to be only days...yes! I just thought I'd do some quick math for a little fun!
But what does it feel like to know that I'm getting married and making the biggest decision of my life soooooo soon??? Well, actually it feels very surreal. Randall & I were talking last night and it feels like it hasn't totally sunk in. I mean, yes, I'M EXCITED! Yes, I know that this is a very big deal. Yes, I know that my life is about to change forever in a very big way.
It's kinda funny though because I've been excited since our first date...I've known that getting into a relationship at this point in my life was a very big deal...I knew that no matter what happened with Randall & I's dating relationship, that my life would change because of him. So, I'm not exactly sure what feels surreal...I finally get to wear the white dress that I've dreamed of wearing since I was a little girl, I finally get to walk down the aisle on my daddy's arm, I finally get to stand up before God and my family and friends and make a commitment to my best friend that isn't an easy one to keep. And I'm excited about that. I'm excited about the challenge that marriage will be. Maybe the surreal part is finally reaching this monumental goal that you've dreamed about your whole life....
Okay, so maybe it's kinda like when I was studying abroad in Spain and Argentina...I knew that my time there was changing me in big ways, that I was making memories and friends that would last a lifetime, that I was learning a new language that was challenging and didn't always make sense. It's like when you're living in a moment that you know is so big for you as a person and for the direction of the rest of your life, that moment is surreal. So, it's the same thing with getting married...I know that my time with Randall now and forever has and will continue to change me in big ways, that I will be making memories on February 21 and for many days after with the people most important to me, and that I have been and will continue to learn a new, challenging and sometimes confusing language - the language of love.
It's so cool because I never thought of this metaphor before...it just suddenly came to me.
Studying abroad : Language Learning as Getting Married : Love Learning
I don't know if that's a correct little word puzzle. I was never good at those on the SATs, but I know my analogy works. It's like the light bulb just went on in my head. It feels surreal and really happy and joyous and buzzing with excitement all at the same time because it is this major landmark of life. And this is probably one of just many (hopefully) exciting landmarks to come in the life of Anna & Randall.
So, there.
That's how it feels to be getting married in 11 days. It feels like studying abroad.
Disclaimer: The analogy is not to say that getting married is as temporary or superfluous as studying abroad. It's to say that getting married is about big changes and challenges just like studying abroad.
...maybe I'll write more about learning a second language and learning the language of love later...could be an interesting topic to explore especially with my newfound career path...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Life is like a marathon?
So, on Sunday, I ran my first (and probably only!) marathon. I ran it with my dad and we did the 26.2 mile journey in about 5:12:46, which meant I accomplished both of my goals:
1) To finish!
2) To finish in less than 5:30
I've been thinking and trying to figure out if life is like a marathon, and I think in some ways it is.
Like I said, I ran the marathon with my dad, which was a critical part of successfully completing mission marathon. :) After about mile 20 (my longest training run), I stopped talking altogether and had to concentrate fully on continuing to take one step after the next. They say that the last 6.2 miles of a marathon is the second half, which was hard for me to understand until I was actually there myself. But, I think the first marathon/life lesson is that it's important to have a partner. Whether that person is a spouse, sibling, friend, or parent, we all need at least one other person to rely on. If I hadn't been running with my dad, I think I still would've finished the race, but my time would have been significantly slower and I might not have met all of my goals. So, in life, it's important to rely on those around us for encouragement to help us meet our goals, especially in those seasons in life where the world bites at our heels and it's all we can do to keep pressing forward, knowing that there is a sweet victory in it all.
Marathon/life lesson #2: Environment matters. I need cold weather to perform best when running. 59 degrees and 90% humidity at the start of the race doesn't exactly equal performance best weather for me. Could I have run the marathon faster if it had been colder? Probably, but in the end, I don't know. Either way, I had to make a choice of finishing the race or not when I knew I wasn't running in conditions that were ideal. Just like in life, a lot of times we would like to blame our circumstances...but the bottom line is that we have a choice of how we're going to live irregardless of our circumstances.
Marathon/life lesson #3: The mob mentality. This may sound crazy but I almost burst in to tears around mile 9-10 when the marathon went through Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. It was a magical moment. Haha, but seriously. Here I am, still at the easy part of the run, running towards Cinderella's castle with hundreds of people yelling and ringing cowbells and I felt like, with just that, I had already accomplished my goal. Yes, I was a long way from the end of the 26.2 mile journey, but I had support outside of the unit of partnership of my dad and I. I think that's also important - knowing that you have people in your life, outside of that one closest person, who will be there to cheer you on even if you have to limp down Main Street, which thankfully I didn't have to do this time, but you never know what the future of life may hold.
Marathon/life lesson #4: Don't underestimate the distance. Like I mentioned, I really wasn't prepared for those last 6.2 miles, and I'm not sure if any first time marathoner really is. We can't underestimate life's distance either. The Bible tells us that our days are short and numbered. If I live to be 90, I have approximately 24,105 days left on this earth. But who's to say I have that many or even one? Whether it's 105 days or 24,105 days it's not much in light of eternity, and that's why we can't underestimate (or overestimate) the distance of life. We must make every day count just like I had to make every step count.
I'm sure there are more life lessons that I could pull from my journey. I know food and hydration played an important role too. As did seeing Randall and my mom on the side of the road with cheering signs at mile 18 and at the finish line! I might come back and try to pull a few more lessons out, but either way, pictures will be posted soon! And my one suggestion would be, if you plan to run a marathon, find a friend and run in the Mouse's house - the course was great!
1) To finish!
2) To finish in less than 5:30
I've been thinking and trying to figure out if life is like a marathon, and I think in some ways it is.
Like I said, I ran the marathon with my dad, which was a critical part of successfully completing mission marathon. :) After about mile 20 (my longest training run), I stopped talking altogether and had to concentrate fully on continuing to take one step after the next. They say that the last 6.2 miles of a marathon is the second half, which was hard for me to understand until I was actually there myself. But, I think the first marathon/life lesson is that it's important to have a partner. Whether that person is a spouse, sibling, friend, or parent, we all need at least one other person to rely on. If I hadn't been running with my dad, I think I still would've finished the race, but my time would have been significantly slower and I might not have met all of my goals. So, in life, it's important to rely on those around us for encouragement to help us meet our goals, especially in those seasons in life where the world bites at our heels and it's all we can do to keep pressing forward, knowing that there is a sweet victory in it all.
Marathon/life lesson #2: Environment matters. I need cold weather to perform best when running. 59 degrees and 90% humidity at the start of the race doesn't exactly equal performance best weather for me. Could I have run the marathon faster if it had been colder? Probably, but in the end, I don't know. Either way, I had to make a choice of finishing the race or not when I knew I wasn't running in conditions that were ideal. Just like in life, a lot of times we would like to blame our circumstances...but the bottom line is that we have a choice of how we're going to live irregardless of our circumstances.
Marathon/life lesson #3: The mob mentality. This may sound crazy but I almost burst in to tears around mile 9-10 when the marathon went through Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. It was a magical moment. Haha, but seriously. Here I am, still at the easy part of the run, running towards Cinderella's castle with hundreds of people yelling and ringing cowbells and I felt like, with just that, I had already accomplished my goal. Yes, I was a long way from the end of the 26.2 mile journey, but I had support outside of the unit of partnership of my dad and I. I think that's also important - knowing that you have people in your life, outside of that one closest person, who will be there to cheer you on even if you have to limp down Main Street, which thankfully I didn't have to do this time, but you never know what the future of life may hold.
Marathon/life lesson #4: Don't underestimate the distance. Like I mentioned, I really wasn't prepared for those last 6.2 miles, and I'm not sure if any first time marathoner really is. We can't underestimate life's distance either. The Bible tells us that our days are short and numbered. If I live to be 90, I have approximately 24,105 days left on this earth. But who's to say I have that many or even one? Whether it's 105 days or 24,105 days it's not much in light of eternity, and that's why we can't underestimate (or overestimate) the distance of life. We must make every day count just like I had to make every step count.
I'm sure there are more life lessons that I could pull from my journey. I know food and hydration played an important role too. As did seeing Randall and my mom on the side of the road with cheering signs at mile 18 and at the finish line! I might come back and try to pull a few more lessons out, but either way, pictures will be posted soon! And my one suggestion would be, if you plan to run a marathon, find a friend and run in the Mouse's house - the course was great!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The big move....
So, over the holidays, I moved in to the apartment where Randall & I will be living after getting married. It's great! Much more space than my teeny studio apartment and a great location with lots of new restaurants, parks, and shops to explore! :)
I spent more time in the Lowe's over the break than I ever thought I would...we picked paint colors, painted a bathroom and a large wall in the main living area, I bought washing machine hoses, a power cord for the dryer (which I then had to return and almost electrocuted myself with (literally) and tripped the circuit breaker by plugging it into the wall ungrounded to see if it fit the plug!), but basically moving was an experience of all kinds of random things...an adventure for sure! I'm hoping to post pictures of the painting process and the mess that was random furniture EVERYWHERE. It looks A LOT better now and I'm so thankful for the support of family and friends in helping us get stuff moved and hung and just put together.
Already being in the apartment, even though I'm the only one living there, makes me feel like married life is one step closer and that it's just going to be fun! :) Randall and I have our own space to do our own things and we have new places to leave each other little notes.
God blessed us hugely in providing this apartment for us. And His blessings continue to pour forth showing his goodness and providence in knowing exactly what we need.
Pictures coming soon!
I spent more time in the Lowe's over the break than I ever thought I would...we picked paint colors, painted a bathroom and a large wall in the main living area, I bought washing machine hoses, a power cord for the dryer (which I then had to return and almost electrocuted myself with (literally) and tripped the circuit breaker by plugging it into the wall ungrounded to see if it fit the plug!), but basically moving was an experience of all kinds of random things...an adventure for sure! I'm hoping to post pictures of the painting process and the mess that was random furniture EVERYWHERE. It looks A LOT better now and I'm so thankful for the support of family and friends in helping us get stuff moved and hung and just put together.
Already being in the apartment, even though I'm the only one living there, makes me feel like married life is one step closer and that it's just going to be fun! :) Randall and I have our own space to do our own things and we have new places to leave each other little notes.
God blessed us hugely in providing this apartment for us. And His blessings continue to pour forth showing his goodness and providence in knowing exactly what we need.
Pictures coming soon!
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