April and TS Eliot.

As, it is April (for one more day), the words of TS Eliot seem particularly apt:

April is the cruelest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

If you've never read The Waste Land, I recommend it.

Change.

The end of each school year is hectic, a constant frenzy as we cram more papers, projects, tests, coffee dates with friends, and summer job applications into every day than seems humanly possible. Everything is changing, everything is in motion. And a bittersweet feeling envelops these moments of hurried activity. It’s a mixture of a desire for relaxation and a need for a change of pace and a horrible aching feeling that I think most people experience when they realize that life is about to change. This school year has been wonderful and, so, when it finishes, it will be the end of something wonderful.

During the hours and hours that I’ve spent lately in the complete silence of the library or in the dull humming of the student union, I’ve contemplated more than just the literary works that should have been my focus. I’ve frequently thought about the last year of my life. On this same weekend last year, I went to a Leinster rugby match. And to my Irish church, where I heard stories about how God had been working in the lives of people I care about deeply. I went to a coffee shop for lunch with some of my closest friends on earth and sat near a window, looking down upon the main street of one of my favorite places on earth. I went to a pub, where the very walls and furniture were saturated with the comforting scent of Guinness and Bulmers. And I’m pretty sure that, exactly a year ago, I was reflecting on my love for the people with whom I lived and my reluctance to move forward, just as I am now.

But recently I had a thought: my life is constantly improving. Honestly, it is. Somehow, I always dread impending change when the changes that have come in my life thus far have always brought more happiness. This isn’t to say that I haven’t been presented with challenges, but simply that I don’t ever regret having taken the next step. When high school ended, I wasn’t a senior who bolted from my parent’s house without looking back, but college has blessed me and molded me in ways that I couldn’t have fathomed several years ago. And each year of college, even each semester, has been the same way—distinctly different, yet incredibly fulfilling. So right now, I’m going to relish my last few weeks of dorm life and living with those in the class above me. But I’m also going to look forward to all that is to come. Because my life truly is remarkable.

Spring break and a reunion.

Spring break has been lovely. Although I've been enjoying classes this semester, I was ready for some down time and to see my family again.

This weekend, close friends stayed with us on their way to Florida. We spent time outside, went out for ice cream, shopped, went on walks, played games. Had an absolutely wonderful, though rare, time catching up.

{Dad and Marc}

{enjoying a warm spring day}

{ordering ice cream}

{reunited}

{Together again-- Liz, Me, Marc, Carson, Conner, Jamison, Luc}

Getting ready for the long drive back to school tomorrow. It will be good to get back to campus and friends and a daily routine.

But, for now, it's still time to relax and celebrate-- Happy Easter, Everyone. And Happy Birthday, Lucas.