crybaby.

When I plan on attending a movie with someone, I usually have to preface it with a warning: I will cry. While many people will look at me with a funny expression suggesting, how could you possibly cry when seeing 17 Again?, I do. Ask my sisters, who, in any sentimental part of a movie, will look at me to see if I am crying yet, and usually I am. Kyle has recently picked up on this too, but he discovered it while we were casually watching an episode of Wife Swap. Yes, you read correctly, I cried while watching Wife Swap, but it's just so touching to see how much a husband and wife can, in the end, appreciate one another.

I have more recently picked up crying while reading. What caused this? I blame Jodi Piccoult and My Sister's Keeper (which I will admit that I teared up just watching the previews for the coming movie based on this book). Never before have I balled while reading a book. I was literally sobbing, a blubbering mess, happy that I was the only one home. After this book I cried reading Marley & Me, and most recently, my second book of the summer, James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's.

Along with being prone to tears, I am also a sucker for love stories and Sundays at Tiffany's was a wonderfully fresh one. While I was not balling, the touching relationships and love caused my eyes to fill with tears. This carefully crafted story about a young girl with an imaginary friend, makes me wish that I had one as a child too. Their relationship is extremely unique and genuine, and how it changes as they grow as human beings, mirrors that of many relationships I have come across in my growth over the years. If you are in need of a good love story, I would recommend it, but if you're like me, grab a kleenex or two!

I suppose I have become the ultimate consumer. I cry when they want me to, I smile when expected, and I hate sad endings. However, I have to admit that I love this about myself, because I get enjoy everything that much more, even if I am blissfully unaware of just how cheesy it is.

otis ct.

I grew up on a cul-de-sac. As a kid, I have to admit, that this was the perfect set up. We use to set up games of kickball, wiffleball, and softball by chalking in bases and calling time outs when the occasional car had the nerve to interrupt our precious games. We were constantly outside. It helped that Otis Ct. was full of kids, ranging in ages, but none too old nor too young for our late summer nights, playing until it was too dark to see the ball.

There was one thing we treasured just as much, if not more, then our summer days outside, and that was the bookstore. My mom use to call to us, as we were running around ferociously outside, and say, "Who wants to go to the bookstore?" Kathleen and I would immediately drop what we were doing and scream, "I DO!", hoping she wouldn't leave without us. The parents of the neighborhood would ask my mom, boggled, how she got us to do that.

To this day, I'm not exactly sure what my mom did to make us love the bookstore as much as we did. However, I know that the fact that she would tell us all about the books she read: the developing plots, characters falling in and out of love, mysteries, crimes, detectives, cliffhangers and happy endings. These stories, these moments entranced by my mother's ability to captivate our imaginations, were the things that led us to our devotion to our summer books. Thank you mom.

The devotion has continued throughout the years, it has moved passed The Babysitter's Club, through Nancy Drew, beyond Judy Blume, into contemporary literature. I will admit that I enjoyed the Twilight series as much, if not more, then the next person. The intense love is hard for those not in love to fully understand, but she captures something and produces it so well that it is impossible to put one of these books down. Awaiting the next of the Stephanie Meyer phenomenon, I have occupied myself in other pieces of literature, and I can officially say that I have finished my first book of the summer. While I must admit that I was a couple chapters in at the start of the summer, it only took a couple of days to finish up the rest.

Sophie Kinsella, author of the Shopaholic series, wrote an unrelated book, Remember Me?. Now, I will admit that I have not read any of her books prior to tackling this one, but I must say I would recommend it to any one of my girlfriends. It's the perfect pool/beach read, and for me it was a wonderful introduction into the summer. Just when I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with the many things to plan and prepare for the summer, this book eased some of that tension and got a few laughs out of me. So ladies, give this one a go and tell me what you think! Now the challenge will be to decide what to read next!

a brief reflection.

My youngest sister, Karley, was recognized last night for her academic achievements of the past year, and the family all attended in support of her hardwork. The awards banquet was held at her high school, in the school gym, and yes, it was Mother's Day.

If there is anything that makes you feel old, it's walking back into a high school, seeing all of the high schoolers gossiping, batting their eyelashes, and flirting with the same five guys. I'm not sure that the end of my Bloomington journey really hit me until I was in that room, full of families and high schoolers that remind me so much of J.K. Mullen High School and my days attending awards banquets.

I have a hard time believing that I started high school 8 years ago, not to mention the fact that in those 8 years I don't have one regret. I have come out of college with wonderful friends, an extremely handsome and wonderfully caring boyfriend, and an education that makes me love my field even more than I did four years ago. What more could someone ask for? I can't really think of anything.

So, why did I end this school year with tears? Bloomington has been my home for the past four years, and to think that I am growing and moving past this amazing time in my life is both scary and hard. My friends are entering the work force with futures that are bright, but still not down the hallway. Not everything I could possibly need will be within walking distance. My biggest worry is no longer a midterm or final exam, but classrooms full of troubled high schoolers.

Wow, we really are growing up. It's a future full of possibilities and hope, and based on the past four years, I have full confidence that the future holds more happiness and even fonder memories. As sad as I am that the past four years have passed with a swiftness that no one could possibly expect or prepare themselves for, I am even more excited at the thought of future engagements, weddings, children, reunions, book clubs, etc.

I love my friends and family and will always appreciate their guidance in my journey, as well as the wonderful addition they have all been in my life. I love you all, and thank you for bringing so much joy to my life.

the swine.

After a traumatic experience at the IU Health Center involving surgical masks, escalating coughs, red-rimmed eyes, and (thank goodness) hand sanitizer, I called my mom to assure her, as the doctor did me, that I was swine flue free. A relief to the both of us, my mom moved quickly from me, to the "threat" of the swine on the whole.


My grandpa, a passionate and very knowledgeable pharmacist, had assured my mom that the swine flu had actually been blown way out of proportion. This, of course, did not keep my mom from forcing me to see a doctor for my sore throat and congestion (typical cold symptoms). However, she went on to tell me that grandpa said the number of people who have died in Mexico of swine flu at this point, is about the equivalent of people who typically die of the regular old flu in the U.S. in a normal year.

However, traditions are changing in order to avoid the spread. Recently, many Catholic churches are urging their parishioners to skip the wine during communion. My mom, being the germ freak that she is, never really liked us sipping from the cup that everyone in the church shared, so this doesn't come as a surprise to me, and it seems as though the Catholic community is agreeing with the decision. What did come as a surprise to me was the advice to skip holding hands during the Lord's Prayer. Personally, this is one of my favorite parts of the mass, because I think it brings the church together as a community praising God, with a prayer so deeply committed to him. The fact that people aren't washing their hands or taking care of themselves is keeping this tradition from being what it was originally suppose to be: a uniting and strengthening act.

What worries me is that people, like my mother, who worry constantly about germs and the worst possibly scenarios, won't be able to go back to the original traditions because of the suggestions being made today. Let's say the swine flu hype finally simmers, does that mean we should or will stop worrying about spreading germs? Will we ever be able to hold hands during the Our Father, or shake hands while offering a sign of peace?


I ultimately understand that everyone wants to avoid getting sick and catching a life threatening disease, but to what extent should we go in order to do this? I have confidence that the prominence of health and precautions to preserve health, will indeed make people healthier, thus allowing for holding hands to potentially become plausible again. I would rather have health be a prominent issue, covered significantly within the media, rather then have it completely ignored or pushed aside as irrelevant. We must ultimately choose a healthy lifestyle in order for the health of the country and the world to improve.