I think I'm gonna be sentimental here today. It's November 2005, and before we all know it, 2006 will be upon us. A new year brings fresh breath to our lives, looking to the horizon for new opportunities, possibilities, and new projects. I'm currently involved with a big project, chairing the softball tournament to take place here in Sioux Falls in July of 2006. This project that I have undertaken, I already look forward to the rewards that it will bring.

Undertaking this project has made me realize how much I miss being an active part in Alpha Sigma Theta (my sorority from college). When I was in Alpha Sigma Theta, I had given my all, in every way imaginable. When I graduated from college, I thought I'd never do it again, believing that I had burned out, and I thought that for the rest of my life I would take a seat back from any action in any project. But within a few years I found myself itching to get involved again. And this opportunity just fell into my lap last summer. But there's one thing I find strange, when I was in Alpha Sigma Theta, I never feared failure, I knew that everything would work themselves out, with whatever I was involved with, and I think I may be a little out of practice, but with this softball tournament, I am already fearing failure. I keep telling myself that it's okay to have some fear, it gives one motivation to overcome it and succeed. That's my mantra for this project that I've undertaken.

College was a great phase in my life, I used to say that it was the best 6 years of my life, that part's still true, but I'm only 27 years old, and I still have my entire life ahead of me, so I can't really say that anymore. But what it was, was a defining phase in my life, after spending my childhood and teenage years never really feeling like I belonged, feeling like an outsider, college was where I learned about who I was. Rochester became home, rather than Canada. I was born and bred a Canadian, don't get me wrong, but it's no longer home for me. For a while, I thought Rochester was home, it was, after all for 6 years.

These last 3 years in Sioux Falls has really shown me what HOME is. It's not just where the heart is. It's also where the soul is. If I ever left Sioux Falls, it would be like I left a part of my heart and my soul here. For the first time in my life, Sioux Falls was a place where I was alone, left to fend for myself, and to learn how to survive. I survived, sure enough, and I came to love Sioux Falls.

I'm hoping that 2006 will bring a lot of closure for me, I have some personal issues that I'm working through, and hopefully those will come to a close between mid- and the end of the new year. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year, in every way possible. Even not 2006, then 2007 will be coming around right after that. I don't want to think that far yet, I just want to take everything one day at a time and to appreciate the things I have in my daily life.

To smile once a day is good, twice a day is wonderful, to smile more is cleansing;
To laugh once a day is good, twice a day is healthy, to laugh more is lifting;
To live once a day is good, twice a day is enlightening, to live more is near perfection.

~me

As I promised, here are more pictures. I'm trying to keep it to three pictures per post, rather than overwhelming you all! The top one is with Katie, my current roommate. She is originally from California (born and raised there). She moved to Sioux Falls for an internship and stayed. She's currently in grad school for a MBA. The middle one, with Willie and Jenna, another dear friends of mine who are getting married in April of 2006! They're currently both residents of Sioux Falls, and the odd thing is... it's a small world, Jenna and I used to be neighbors for one year in college while we were both living off campus at Westbrooke Commons. Willie and I have been friends since college, and we never became close until I moved to Sioux Falls. And the last picture, is of a friend that I've had since I was 12. She has seen me through my worst and my best, and I have seen her through *her* worst and her best. She was living in Minnesota, a mere 4 hours away from me for a while until she just moved back East, to Rochester, New York. Those pictures tie in to the post I just posted about friends, and unconditional love.

I'll be posting more soon, with updates about me, and I'm also thinking of posting quotations here from time to time and talking about how those quotations have an impact on me and life in general. Keep looking!

You meet your friend, your face brightens, you have struck gold

Janny Megan Amy

The pictures that I just posted are my favorites. I have more pictures on CD, but I don't have access to my CD right now, I'll be posting those later (*raising right hand in air* I PROMISE!)

The quote "You meet your friend, your face brightens, you have struck gold," was spoken by Kassia way back then (date unknown). I wanted to make sure I credited the right person instead of making you all think that I was the one who came up with that! Personally, a quote that I came up with on my own about friends was this: "You have friends for every stage in your life. Some friends may come and go quickly, come and stay for what seems like eternity, come and go and then come back."

Your family are forever tied to you through blood, and rarely do you really have to work at establishing a relationship with your family because it was already there when you were born. Your friends are tied to you through an invisible silver cord, and with your friends, you work hardest at building foundations with them by getting to know them better and by accepting them as they are.

The three girls in this post, Janny, Megan and Amy, Those are the three friends that I have in Sioux Falls where the quote can apply to. Don't get me wrong, I have other friends who are just as dear to me. Those three, I am always thrilled to see, it doesn't matter how often I see them (at work or at home), or how seldom I see them due to different working hours and so forth, I still brighten up every time I see them. That look on my face tells me I have struck gold with each of those three.

Janny - I've known her the longest of the three, since I was 14 - and other people may call her Jennifer or JD, but she'll always be Janny to me!

Megan - My Meggy - she's the sister that Destiny forgot to give me.

Amy - She came into my life at a time when I was alone at a new crossroad in my life, and she has never left as she has become one of my own.

My favorite discussion when it comes to friends boils down to two words: Unconditional love. Unconditional love means that no matter what your friends may do to you (prank-wise or on the serious side), you will always (at the risk of repeating myself) and forever love them, no matter what. Unconditional love also means if you rarely see the friends that you love the most, it does not matter, because you will be thrilled to spend every minute you have whem them when you *are* with them. Each person has their own life that they have to lead, and sometimes it overlaps with yours, sometimes their lives do not, but you will ALWAYS love them, as they are an important part of your life, and they have played major roles in your life at one time or another.

I just wanted to share this with you today - as my friends are seldom away from my thoughts.