ordinarily extraordinary

“I forgive you, I forgive me. Now when do I start to feel again?” –Kelly Clarkson, I Forgive You  Heartbreak is the worst form of pain. You can experience heartbreak from a lover, a friend, a family member, even a stranger. I have seen actors show this kind of pain (the best I’ve seen is Nina Dobrev in The Vampire Diaries when her character finally accepts that her brother is dead); it was hard to watch without tearing up. It’s even harder when I watch my friends cry over lost love or families that are falling apart. I have the gift of being able to connect with people in their times of sorrow and helping them cope, but the one thing I cannot do for them is forgive. It takes a strong person to forgive someone. To forgive their transgressions. To forgive the pain they inflicted. To forgive their fall from grace. To forgive over and over again. Matthew 18:21-22 says that we must forgive our Brothers and Sisters In Christ not seven times, but seventy times seven times. That...

"They know just where I stand. It’s all a part of me, and that’s who I am…”  -Jessica Andrews, Who I Am My parents like to joke that it doesn't take much to amuse me. For once, I don’t disagree with them. I’m one of those people who finds humor in anything, whether it’s a joke my brother makes or a cat video. I’m one of those people who finds a reason to dance, whether it’s at a Zumba class or washing the dishes. I’m one of those people who see beauty in anything. I see beauty in nature because it is proof of God’s touch. I see beauty in the starry sky, in the shapes of the clouds, in the way water droplets rest on a rose, in the light that streams through the leaves. I see beauty in the women I surround myself with. I see beauty in the determination of my mom, in the calming presence of my favorite red-head, in the fun-sized energy of my future roommate, in the child-like joy of my oldest friend. I see beauty in the eyes of people when they talk about somethi...