Lessons on family.

Going into this semester I knew that my head would be filled to the brim with new knowledge. I had no idea that a good chunk of that knowledge would be about lessons on the importance of family. I come from an amazing family that I cherish so much, but this semester I learned about how to draw near to a family that isn't related to you by blood.

The first family that I became a part of was the 'SpEd Head' family. This family was made up of my fellow college students that were all in the same program as me as a Special Education major. We are all from the same college, were all placed in the same area of the state, but all have different stories. I looked forward to getting to know all of these individuals and to see how we would grow as professionals over the course of the semester. They were the ones that texted me back at those late hours in the evening about the silly question I had on a project. They were the ones who made the stress of the semester not seem so bad because I had someone else to share it with.

The second family I became a part of was the school staff and students at my placements. The high school I was placed at quickly became home. My students captured my heart with a strong and firm grip. These students have the BIGGEST hearts of anyone that I have ever met. Just like a family they cared for me on my good days and on my bad days. When they sensed that I was stressed they reached out with kind words to reassure me that everything would indeed be alright. They laughed at my jokes and didn't make fun of me when the grand science experiment I planned didn't go exactly as I had imagined it would. My kids at the grade school I taught at greeted me with hugs and tiny little smiles that seemed to take up their whole face. They were eager to learn and went out of their way to show me how smart they were.

The last family I became a part of was at my church. My mom jokes with me that when I first moved into this new town, finding a church was higher on the priority list than anything else, such as the mall or where the best ice cream shop was. During the middle of the week pretty early on in the semester I said a prayer to God to send me a friend at church. I told Him, "I don't need many friends. Just give me someone to hi to every Sunday. Or at least someone that will smile at me. I just want to feel like I belong." You see the Lord is amazing, and he provided me with not only one friend, but TWO that next Sunday. This family soon became known as my 'Decatur parents'. They took me in (when they didn't have to) and gave me with the comfort that only Christ can provide. While I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I would have liked (due to a busy school schedule), I appreciate every hug, prayer and text message checking in to see how I am doing.

Family is a lot about who raised you as a person. It is also about those around you that push you to be successful and encourage you along the way. I could not have made it through this semester with my  family from home (thanks Mom and Dad) and the three families I became a part of during the past six months. As this semester comes to a close and I get ready to move back home to Chicago, I have trouble with ending this chapter of the book of my life. I am not one to become attached easily, but so much good has come out of my last six months living here and in this experience. I know that it will be tough to leave all these memories behind, but I can't wait for what's in store for me in the coming months before I graduate.

Dear Future Husband...

There's this song by Meghan Trainor called "Dear Future Husband" that played on my iTunes the other day and it got me to thinking. The lyrics start out by saying, "Dear future husband, here's a few things you'll need to know if you wanna be my one and only all my life." Sounds pretty legit, right? In this song she talks about the various things that her future husband should or needs to do in order for her to commit to him as being her future husband.

Every girl has that list of qualifications of things that they hope their future spouse will have. You might be saying, "Jenny, I definitely don't have one of those... What are you talking about?" Don't kid yourself, you probably have at least one quality you want your future lover to have. I used always joke that there was a list of seven qualities my future boyfriend/husband had to have in order to sweep me off my feet and love me forever. It was composed of 'must haves' and 'negotiable' items.

1. Be able to sing, play an instrument or have another really cool talent.
2. Be able to rock the bow tie and/or suspender look.
3. Be humble and kind and funny.
4. Love Jesus.
5. Have an accent.
6. Be able to hold his own in a social setting (ie. is an independent man).
7. Have siblings. (Can't be an only child)

Now when I look back at this list some of them make me laugh because of the ridiculousness (for example, having an accent, what was I thinking??), some of them still hold true and there are definitely other items that I would add.

So this got me to thinking about the letter that I would write to my future husband. Now I'll make it clear that I have no intentions on getting married anytime soon... Nor do I know who my future husband will be. I am as single as a pringle right now. The one thing I am sure about is that he's out there and I'm pretty sure that he will rock my socks off.

So here goes nothing....

Dear Future Husband,

Hi there handsome. We may or may not know each other, but I think you are really great and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I have been patiently waiting for you and couldn't be more excited for the life that waits before us.

Now I am sure you already have been given the "Can this guy date/love Jenny?" test by my father, grandfather and big 'brothers'. And I am positive that you passed it with flying colors, simply because you are that amazing. I have been raised by my parents to believe that I am a unique individual and deserve someone who will treasure that. My big brothers have reminded me time and time again that I can not and should not settle for anyone that isn't willing to realize the beauty that lies deep within me. I have some pretty wise and humble men that I look up to as role models. It is my hope that you will enjoy spending time with them. I also hope you will encourage me and push me as much as they do.

We both have our past, our baggage and our flaws. That is just simply how life is. No one is perfect, but we are perfectly imperfect. I have things in my past that I really like and those things that I wish I could forget about. I am sure that we will have our good and bad times, but I know that the love we have for each other will be enough to get us through. Let's take each day one step at a time, and never stop loving each other. 

I hope you like adventure, because those are my favorite. Are you ready for all the crazy ideas that roam around in my head? Are you willing to make those a reality no matter how ridiculous they sound at first? I look forward to exploring new cities and places with you. Let's venture out into the unknown and see what we find. I have a hunch that it will be fabulous and better than we could ever imagine.

Will you sing and dance with me when no one is watching (and even when they are watching too?). Do you like to do interpretative dance while driving? Because I sure do. I can't wait for the inside jokes we will call ours. I hope you are prepared for me to test out my cheesiest pick up lines on you. And I expect that you will return them with even cheesier responses.

Do you love Jesus? It is my hope that you do. If you don't, are you willing to still encourage me in my walk with Christ? This is a very important aspect in my life that I would love to share with you. I hope that we can spend time serving others and loving them like Christ loves us. I want to be a light to the world, right by your side.

So, what are we waiting for? Let's embark on this journey we call life. We will make splendid memories, have lovely conversations and grow old together. I see the love that we will share be fun, real and never ending. I love you with all of my heart already and there isn't a day that you aren't on my mind. I hope and pray that there is success in your life. I thank the Lord every day that he led me to you and for the love that we will share.

☮♡✞
Jenny

A new life motto to live by

Who knew that three short statements could change how you look and interact with the world around you. Be silly. Be honest. Be kind. So simple, yet so bold. I recently met someone that had a shirt that had this quote on it and it totally rocked my world. Instantly after reading the shirt, I went and got a piece of paper to write it down to save for later. I was given some strange looks by this individual, but that is probably because they don't understand my crazy obsession for quotes and how they provide meaning to my crazy life. 

Be silly.

Often we think that silliness is a childish thing but in reality it is something that will stay with us and be something we do each day in our life until the day we die. Look for the spark in other people's eyes. Hang out with those that just want to embrace life, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. Do you like to dance when no one's watching (or when there are a bunch of people watching)? Then do it. Go all out and get those hips moving and grooving. Sing even if your voice shakes or you think it's no good. 

Be honest.

Honesty is something that should be incorporated into our life each day. Most of all I need to be honest with my self. From time to time it's important for me to check myself to see if the way that I am leading my life aligns with the core values that I hold myself to. It is important for me to be honest with those that I come in contact with. I need to let the people I care about know how much I love them. I need to be honest and raw with my feelings and emotions. I need to be honest with myself and others when something is bothering me or not right. Honesty will take you very far. 

Be kind. 

Kindness is such a powerful thing and should be something you should hold tight to. The world can be a mean, cruel and scary place, but it's crucial to be kind to everyone you meet. You may not want to give kind words to the driver who cuts you off in traffic or that one co-worker that really gets under your skin, but you must. Life is too short to say anything less than something kind. It's the greatest feeling in the world to be kind to someone else and see that smile in return. Participate in random acts of kindness. It can be a grand gesture or something very small.