Are You Really?

I was on my way out the door and I poked one of my close friends to say a quick goodbye. We fell right into the cultural conversation we carry daily with dozens of people. 

"How are you?"

"I'm doing good. How are you?" 

But then he broke script. 

"Are you really?" 

I wasn't expecting that. That day, I really was good. However, there have been many other days when I needed someone to ask how I was and truly want to know. 

It got me thinking about that whole pleasantries thing. Why do we do that? It has become so ritualistic that it no longer has any significant meaning.
I'm not saying we should stop asking our friends how they are when we see them, I'm saying we should mean it. Who knows, maybe it could save someone's life someday. 

We'll Miss You, Bubu Bean

This is Bubu the Hedgehog

Bubu was a sweet little friend 

He liked to curl up into a little spiky ball and cuddle in towels 

Josh and Bubu were good pals

We enjoyed cuddling on the couch together

He had the cutest mouse ears 

Sometimes he would fall asleep there

He liked to crawl all over my arms and cuddle his little face into my hand

Bubu was a little adventurer 

"What is that?" Tiger wonders

I wanted Bubu to come to college with me 

Baby cuddles

An Easter walk in the garden 

Just look at his little wiggle nose!

Big Bubu and Little Bubu

We'll Miss You, Bubu Bean

Bus Camaraderie

Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee

I went to a football game Saturday. This is not something I do... ever. Nonetheless, I had a fantastic time (Shout-out to my roommate who patiently explained every play for me). Even better, our team won!

I live close to campus and my apartment complex sends out a bus on game days. For that I am thankful. Otherwise we'd be spending next semester's tuition on a parking spot. Many dedicated football fans flock to the stadium every week. Thus, our bus gets filled to the brim. When my roommate and I rode over to campus, there were only a few students on the bus. After the game, the bus was as packed as I'd ever seen it. We had people sitting on laps and standing in the middle, squished like sardines. Overfilled was an understatement. There on that hot, crammed bus full of strangers and stuck in traffic, we were all in it together. 

There was no music playing in the bus that day, nor was there any air conditioning. Everything could be heard by everyone and the next half hour became a group conversation. A kind man gave me his seat next to his significant other who later told me about her child and teased about going into labor with her second on the bus ride home. Some bonded over learning how to open the windows and reminiscing over middle school bus rides.One girl asked if anybody needed a roommate. We sat in traffic on the train tracks and hoped to heaven we would all make it across. Any time the bus creaked, which was very often, we gasped a little and crossed our fingers in hopes that the tires had not yet popped. On the final stretch home, we braved he speed-bumps like champions. We even clapped for the bus driver when we made it home! 

I doubt we will see each other again, but there for about thirty minutes, we were all friends.

It might seem like a weird thing for me to share with you, but it truly filled my heart knowing that people can bond so quickly over small things, even if it is just for a moment. I read this quote once that states, "Strangers are just friends waiting to happen." I love this philosophy. It's a mindset that opens your heart to making friends in weird places for weird reasons. These friendships could last years, sometimes they last minutes. They are all beautiful. I hope this experience of bus ride camaraderie reminds me to be present in those moments of minute long friendship. I think we can learn a lot that way. 

The Top of the Dingy School Parking Garage

I set an alarm for this morning making sure I had enough time to get dressed and eat breakfast before my tutoring session. Getting out of bed was a challenge. Regardless, I got myself up, made myself look presentable, grabbed my things for the advising appointment I had later, and headed out the door. Naturally, I arrived late. I shot an apology text to my student and rushed into the ASL lab. It was not long before I realized that we had actually scheduled our session for Thursday. Sigh.

A new perspective on the road I drive daily

The ASL lab is a nice place to stay when you have down time, so I stayed until it was time for my advising appointment. This appointment has been a long time coming. I have been trying to schedule one since the beginning of the semester. There are so many questions to ask. Just inside the door of the advising office is a little sign in computer. I thought I was so cool knowing to go straight to the computer and type in my ID number without having to talk to anyone...until an error appeared. 

"Excuse me ma'am? The computer is telling me I have to schedule an appointment when I already have one for today." The attendant told me that I was not on the schedule for today and that my appointment was scheduled for Friday. Sigh.

I moseyed over to the Student Union to pick up some t-shirts I had ordered. As I walked in, I remembered that my campus ministry was having an open questions lunch. Maybe there was something I could do to help over there. It took a second for me to remember which hall to go down, but when I finally reached my destination, I realized that it was not even lunch time. Sigh. 

I could have stayed on campus and gotten some work done there, but I decided to go home and spend my homework time with my cat Bagheera. I walked to the top floor of the parking garage to find my car, and there it was waiting for me. The beautiful Tennessee River, lovely trees, and the ravishing city of Knoxville looming over.

The beautiful Tennessee River with Knoxville looming over

It is little moments like these that remind me how good God is. Maybe your day has been full of minor inconveniences like mine, or maybe you are struggling through some bigger things. No matter what you are going through, God is constant. He cares deeply for you through the mundane struggles and in the life crises. He writes us beautiful, extravagant love letters; sometimes through the kind words of others, the dog you saw across the street, the sunrise you accidentally woke up for, the leaves on the bush outside your door, and sometimes through the view from the top of the dingy school parking garage. God's power, beauty, and love for you is everywhere. Sometimes it just takes being in the wrong place at the wrong time to realized it.