"I'm just in such a better mood after talking to you."

Don't you just love how some people can change your whole perspective?

I was so tired at school today and when Mikaela said, "Miss Wright don't you just want to be a hermit crab with me? Curl up in your shell and just sit there in the dark?" I thought it was a pretty good plan. Nothing really horrible happened, it had just been one of those days where you're just getting through and counting down the hours to the weekend. I wanted to go home and take a nap but I had FBC after school and had to wrangle pre-teens for another hour.

And what do you know, I'm sitting there playing Indian Chief when I look around the circle and see that every girl has a huge smile on her face. They're laughing and trying to trick the person in the middle and everyone wants a turn and all of sudden I didn't want to just be a hermit crab anymore. It was like a switch had been flipped and I got to be the camp counselor version of Miss Wright for an hour.

Three new 7th grade girls came for the first time today so I sat with them and a couple of the regulars to untangle their knots and show them what to do next. We talked about birthday cake flavors, taught Simi to say nice things about people and sang TSwift together. These girls are precious and I love that in FBC they are friends with people they might normally just walk by in the hallway. FBC changed my perspective.

Annie Fazzio is a gem.

While we're in constant angst that she doesn't live in Indy, we're very thankful that we can still be such a consistent part of each other's lives. I realize I talk about how much I love Skype a lot but seriously it's one of my favorite inventions of the twenty-first century. Annie and I basically got to hang out today while I folded laundry and cleaned my room and we worked on friendship bracelets all while we were over 100 miles apart. Getting to share in those little everyday moments with people is my favorite. That hour made my day so much better and Annie Fazzio changed my perspective.

Rachel, Emily and I cooked dinner together tonight. Spending a night at their house is one of my favorite weekly routines. Really honest, vulnerable friendships like this may be hard to find but are the very best kind. I'm normally not the type to engage in conversations about really controversial topics, but tonight we jumped into the deep end  of  opinions and I found that we agree on so many things and that we care about listening what the other people have to say. They give me hope by reminding me that it's all going to end up okay. And even if it doesn't, they're going to have my back. Rachel and Emily changed my perspective.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

People are good.

Today I was reminded over and over again that people are good. We can buy into the lie that the world is becoming more corrupt, that people are selfish, that complaining is just what we do or we can endorse the truth the there is good all around us, people want to make a positive impact, and there is always good to be found if you look for it.

I believe that God is actively at work in the world around me. He is showing up over and over again and the harder I look for it the more I see him there. I can see Christ's love in Mikaela's laugh, the way Isaac helps his classmates, the kids playing at recess out my window, a sunny day in the middle of January, or a letter out of the blue from an old friend. Today three of my friends reminded me how good people really are.

Emily and I met up after school at Qdoba. When we got ready to check out with our nachos and burrito she said, "I got this," and treated me to dinner just to be nice. It caught me off guard and I could see she was so happy to do it. It's fun to be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness sometimes. We laughed about the match-making I'm planning for her college roommate, she taught me about Simi, and talked about where we see all of these Senior girls ending up next year. Second semester Senior year is nuts to put it mildly and I hope to soak up as much time with Emily and these girls as I can before they go.

We went to visit Coop, who had just returned home from surgery yesterday. We interrupted her viewing of Soul Surfer, classic, and talked for a bit until she needed to rest again. Coop is a trooper and has such a positive attitude even though this recovery is going to take some time.

Molly Brunner has been one of my favorite people since she was about twelve years old. In the past couple years we have grown closer and we're working on being better at staying in touch between summers. I was so excited when my phone lit up with her name tonight. I smiled through our entire conversation because she just has that effect on people. Molly fits into the category of friends that knows so much of what's going on with my life because of the blog but I wish I could have daily updates of what's going on in her world too. Tonight I got filled in as she told me stories about Dance Marathon Morale, about Theta and the girls in her house, about Kendall and Allison and being excited for a new summer at camp. I got to tell her about the pieces of my life I don't document on the blogosphere and I was reminded of how great she is. I'm so excited to be able to be on staff with her again. I think it's so cool how even though she once looked up to me now I'm learning from her example how to be an incredible counselor.

Colleen has been in Indy all of January because of Depauw's winter term but I hadn't seen her in a week which was making both of us angsty. Her phone died while we were talking and rather than going to find a charger she just got in her car and drove the mile over to me. Nothing beats being friends in person. I don't know if I've ever met anyone who is as good at giving compliments and constant validation the way Coll does. She'll compliment every single one of your Senior pictures, drive four hours to see you before you leave on a big adventure you're nervous about, write you a fifteen page letter telling you why you're great, give unmeasurable amounts of love and attention to the kids in her cabin, and scratch your back even if she would rather not. I aspire to love make people feel loved and understood the way that she does.

People are good. Today be deliberate about looking for that goodness in others.

Top 10 Reasons Today Was A Good One

1. I covered a math class today and got to do board work with all of the kids because the student teacher was doing the actual teaching. I forgot how fun it is to do problems on dry erase boards... and I forgot how difficult negative exponents can be.

2. I just love when kids are friendly; when they say Hi back to you in the hallway with a big smile on their face, when they say Hi first, or when they stop to have a quick talk on their way to class. I got to talk with Haleigh, Jack and Libby after school for awhile about bible study and Young Life and I loved it.

3. During SLT Abby, Grace and I worked on finding things in a puzzle tube thing that's really hard to explain but it was just so fun and we got so excited about finding the dove and popcorn kernel.

4. Alli and I met up for Diet Coke and fries after school because we already missed each other. We visited the Container Store because Alli hadn't been their yet and she found a perfect container for all her markers during the summer (it's only a few months away--we've got to start getting ready).

5. While we were sitting at 5 guys one of my students from two years ago walked by outside and we both did a double take at each other. Then I was so impressed when he walked in to say hi and talk to us. He was so precious when he was in my class my first year and I was glad to see he is still so sweet and kind.

6. Some leaders ate dinner together before Campaigners--we haven't started back with Leadership yet so our time together has been sparse for awhile. It was good to just talk and fight about cupcakes v. tarts and make negative top 10 lists and tell stories before all of our kids arrived.

7. I really love these girls and that I get the chance to be a part of their lives. I love that they choose to come to Campaigners every week to sing and to talk about how God is part of our lives and to pray together. I love when we're all honest with each other and really listen.

8. We learned a new song from Tyler tonight and when we finished singing we convinced him to play just one more. Sometimes I wish we could just keep singing the whole night.

9. A CILT shared a poem called "Letter to an Old Camper" by Mary S. Edger that her grandma gave her. I love it. Here's part of it:

You may find yourself grown wealthy,
Have all that gold can buy,
But you'd toss aside a fortune
For days neath an open sky
With sunlight on the water
And white clouds sailing high.

For once you have been a camper
Then something has come to stay
Deep in your heart forever
Which nothing can take away.
And heaven can only be heaven
With a camp in which to play.


10. I got to Skype with Mags at the end of the day right when everything was winding down. She is just so great and I'm so thankful for her. I love that we talk about our days. She reads me her new favorite quotes from Shauna and sings "The Words I Would Say" with me and says, "Oh Sar, don't you miss me? I just miss you." 


Students, Young Life girls and campers all in the same day-- big day.

"It's the action of responding that is empowering"

On Friday in Kelle Hampton's post I read these words and they stuck with me, rattling around my head, "I used to think emotional "funks" would just ride out on their own--grab a board, ride the wave. I find more comfort now though in the truth they hold. Funks aren't the cause of emotions; they are the effect--messages to which we need to listen and respond.Whether our response is monumental or something as simple as rearranging a living room or cleaning out a toy bin, it's the action of responding that is empowering--funk-erasing." -Kelle Hampton

It was a new idea for me, I suppose, to think you can get rid of your funk. I'm all about choosing to be positive and choosing joy but sometimes we just have a rut. Well this morning I woke up feeling like I was in a funk, not quite sure why but like it or not there it was. Kelle's words were still in my head and I decided to respond and erase the funk.

So I set out to do the things I knew could make a difference.

I went to get coffee because it reminds me of sitting in JPs in college. I love the busyness and the people watching. I got to focus on just writing-- sometimes I forget how much I love to do that.

I went to Common Ground. Usually I go with friends or find people when I get there but this Sunday it was just me. And that was okay. There were more of these days when I'd wake up to go in college or when I first moved to Indy. I like that on days like this it's just me and God. They played some of my favorite songs this morning and I wrote things down the whole time the pastor was talking and it was good to connect and be there without distraction.

I called up Maddie Mahoney and we made art. We started with just some paper and bubble wrap.

But after painting and layering and experimenting...

We made art! These are post card size so I could eventually mail them or write on them and put them up like art.

Then we each have a larger set. I'm not sure what we'll do with them yet but they're just so happy and the process was so fun.

I really liked getting to hang out with Maddie today. She likes me even though she can't believe I don't really like Winter or the cold or animals or Elf or chocolate. Maddie is always up for anything like a cookie from Insomnia or watching another episode of One Tree Hill. We also have some very exciting plans for later this week...

I wrote a letter to a friend, burned some CDs for a care package, uploaded camp pics to facebook and journaled-- all more ways to erase the funk.

Emel, Molls and I watched a chick flick seeing as how it's Chick Flick Sunday. By the time the happy ending rolled around (where the guy and girl end up together in the middle of a flash mob) the funk was obsolete. Success.

I'm ready to take on another week. May it be filled with great moments of hope, patience, inspiration, reaching out of our own little worlds, healing and joy.

"So you get this loaf of banana bread my mom made, and some chocolate chip banana bread, and these Craisins!"

When I woke up this morning the first thing on my to-do list was to climb this building.

Seriously.

The event is called Bop To The Top-- you climb 36 flights of stairs, 806 total steps. I ran with Team Luke because of one of my old students. Her little brother is Luke, eight-years-old and already a cancer survivor. 100 people joined Team Luke this year in blue tye-dye to go up together.

It was so fun to get to do this with my students--current 8th graders and my first group of students that are now Freshmen. They never lose energy and are such a picture of overwhelming joy. Later when all I wanted to do was sit down, Rachel was still jumping around and Grace was dancing HS Musical style and I said, "Girls how in the world do you have this much energy?" Rachel continued jumping as she told me, "Oh Miss Wright you've just got to reach down into your soul and pull it out!"

When you climb the building you start twenty seconds apart and then run or walk up the stairs. At about floor seven Rachel and I were already tired. But we kept climbing stair after stair and flight after flight. It was so much harder than I expected it to be but we finished in about ten minutes.

All of the kids were rockstars and did so well. Luke climbed up and a handful of other kids his age. I'm so glad I got to be a part of something so incredible this morning. After the event all of Team Luke went across the street to Le Peep to recharge with omelets and crepes.

I got to spend a few more hours with Alli before her parents returned today. She finished her craft. Don't you love it? She is so good at continually choosing joy.

I already loved Alli before this week but am now  even more thankful that she is a part of my life. What her siblings might call being bossy, I see as nurturing and caring--she really loves Michael and Emily so much. Alli is consistent and dependable and one of those people that will always have your back. She loves to have fun and adventures and do things out of the ordinary her excitement just isn't as over the top as other people. Alli has a heart for Christ and she thinks about how she is living out her faith everyday. This week was such a gift.

Tonight I got to go hang out with Rachel and Emily on the blue coaches. In true girls' night fashion we ordered pizza and watched old episodes of One Tree Hill. In camp counselor style we sang the chapel and slow campfire songs we missed and discussed all the possible people to fill jobs next summer at camp. These girls are the best and I don't want to ever take it for granted that they're so close these days.

ADD Friday

Not sure why this a brotip but I think it's true for everyone.

Top 10 Things I Miss About Camp Today:
1. Watching clinics perform at closing campfire
2. Friday night trading post because every resident and day camp counselor is there
3. Talks on the way to the lake and singing on the way back
4. Dodgeball with the CILT counselors almost every afternoon
5. Getting emails and letters from campers after they go home
6. Hanging out in the Longhouse before devotions
7. Getting to know kids better on stay over weekends
8. My camp wardrobe and camp hair
9. Getting and giving hugs all the time
10. My biggest worry is getting Parent Letters written in time

Molls and I got dinner at Zoups for the first time tonight. After trying multiple sample I settled on Chicken Tortilla soup and Molls picked Chicken Pot Pie soup (Macaroni and Cheese soup and Cheeseburger Royale couldn't win us over).

 Top 10 Things I Look Forward To Every Year
1. The first day of summer camp
2. National Friendship Bracelet Club Day
3. YL Service Weekend
4. Annual Winter CILT Reunion
5. Mother Daughter Christmas Quilt Camp
6. Seeing friends at Hope when I go back for SIB new member events
7. Reunion weekends with Rachel, Emily and Lily
8. Touchstone dance party during staff training
9. YL Leader weekend
10. Week 6... it's just always a great week

Camp Tecumseh blast from the past:

Emily Campbell, Stacey Leeds, Carolyn Kata, Molly Gigax and Arielle Brosman

Catie O'Hara and I before lunch, Carmel moms for Wacky Wednesday with Kata and DeLong

Kendall and Molly Brunner, Margaret Connelly, Carolyn Kata, Mary Brody, Livvie Murino

Maddie Buel and Sarah Mooney (left)

Nora, Amber, Mary, Margaret, Sarah, Becca, Livvie, Jackie (right)

Amber, Adrienne, Alli, Sarah, Nora, Mary, Jackie, Julia

If you could live in a TV series what would it be?