Family is the classroom of love

Death has been a huge part of my life in the past three months. I lost my grandpa on December 23rd and since then a day has not passed when I haven't thought about death.

One of the first thoughts I had after my Grandpa died was about his parents and his grandparents. How proud they must have been of him and how they must have adored his handsome face when he was just a child. I often wonder doesn't it just make sense that you would be greeted by your mother in death and in heaven. Her body had literally been your home at one point in your life and when your body is giving out, I could not think of a more comfortable place than the arms of your mother. I wonder too, what my grandfather saw, who he saw, and what he felt as he crossed over. I guess I'll never know but I can only hope he felt something as comforting as his mother's arms.

The blog below talks about a chaplain's experience of people talking about their families as they approach death.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/28/my-faith-what-people-talk-about-before-they-die/

The most striking thing for me in this article was her statement that the first and last classroom of love is the family. God is love. If you're family is a classroom of love then God most certainly is present in your family.

After I moved to Baltimore and before my grandfather died, it was so important to me to find a church here and tell him that I had. Part of the classroom of love that I experienced during my grandfathers life took place (in my early years 3-10 at least) sitting next to him in a baptist church pew in Kentucky and many rides in his Cadillac in my Sunday best. The sound of a church hymn will forever remind me of Grandpa's love of God and his love for me.

As a teenager and young adult, I strayed away from church. It bothered me a little and sometimes a lot. However, picking up a hymnal always tugged at my heartstrings. Now when I go to church, which doesnt happen every Sunday, I leave with my family on my mind and feeling closer to God. I try to explain to Nick often why a church service or a hymn makes me feel the presence of my family. Reading that blog made this feeling much clearer to me. Anything that makes me feel close to God makes me feel connected to a powerful force of love. Love, which I learned first from my family.

At my grandfather's funeral and for a few days before, I was surrounded by family. (including friends who are family) Even family so extended that I didn't even know some of them. From my father sitting beside me to a third cousin 7 times removed in the back pew, I felt SO much love. I could taste love in all the food people prepared for us, feel it in embraces from dear friends, hear it in the voices of my mom and sister singing, and see it on every face. It was just an omnipresent love. Now I think this must be what heaven is like and I'm so happy that my grandfather and many others are in the midst of that omnipresent love for eternity.

On the brain: a list

1. If you graduated from WKU and cheer for UK tomorrow. Get a freaking life. Just because you've warn a blue dress or blue khakis with wildcats on them for a few drunken nights at Two Keys doesn't give you the right to refer to UK as "us" when they are playing WKU.

If you have some sort of special connection to the school, that's great! Cheer for them whenever! I love to see them win! But don't be so annoying about it. Define annoying. Okay! Annoying WKU grad who is a UK fan is always wearing UK blue post grad and pretending WKU doesn't exist. To be less annoying just absolutely DO NOT cheer for UK when they're playing WKU. You might think it's cool but, it's not.

When UK wins, I think of my friends and family who are graduates from there and I think of what a great representation the basketball team is for the state on a national scale. Let's be clear about that:)

2. The other day I said, "Those people are our age." I said this to someone who is 30. She replied, "What do you mean, our age? There's a big age gap here."

I can't get this out of my mind. I guess there is a huge difference between life at 23 and at 30. However, I don't really feel like my life is going to change all that much. Does that make me a really lame 23 year old or naive about the reality of being 30?

3. I love spring clothes. LOVE IT. Love the colors, love the neutrals, love the flats, love it all. HATE that I have to start shaving my legs on a regular basis again.

That is the list that is on my brain.

Aware

If you're a social media user (or addict like me) then you probably saw some sort of STOPKONY2012 propaganda yesterday on Twitter or Facebook or YouTube or Vimeo or Instagram. Wherever you chose to follow the details of other people's lives-- it was out there. In between posts of "blacked out in frat myers #sb2012" or "ready to cheer on the cats in Blue Orleans," there was a 30 minute video detailing brutalities that have happened to children in Uganda.

As I was cruising Facebook and Twitter yesterday, I watched the video and forwarded it to my followers. Why did I do this? I felt bad for these people. Can I locate Uganda on a map? NO. What do I know about the history of this country? Nothing really.

So this morning, I have been really thinking about this whole STOPKONY 2012 campaign. I found this article which offers another view on what is happening with Joseph Kony in this region of the world and some interesting information on the Invisible Children organization. These are probably the real facts of the situation but, as previously stated, I really have no idea. This situation is filled with foreign policy, military, and government issues that are far too complicated to understand from one 30 minute video or a 300 word article.

What is clear to me, from the mass distribution of this video on social media, is that for 30 minutes yesterday a lot of people stopped and thought about people outside of their own "worlds." Instead of looking at PGPs (post grad problems) on Twitter or creeping on wedding, spring break, and baby photos on Facebook, people were reminded that there are seriously awful things that happen to other human beings in this world. They maybe even thought about how they could do something about it. Even if it was simply whipping out their debit card, buying the $30 dollar STOP KONY bracelet, and feeling like they helped save the world a little from their cubicle.

This might not have been a very educated decision because the video clearly doesn't tell the WHOLE story and maybe that $30 bucks went right into the pocket of the good looking white guys who run Invisible Children. However, now this person is actually thinking of others. Maybe this new awareness will reach outside of their cubicle to the commute home where they see another need in their own community. Maybe our cubicle hero will think of a way to help or maybe this person will just simply be aware of what is happening in the world outside of their car.

I am certainly not condoning supporting a cause that you know nothing about because it makes you feel like you've helped. I'm not saying that if you work hard to get ahead, you should feel guilty if you're not helping others. Times are hard for everyone and charity is a personal choice.

I AM saying that awareness is of great importance. I feel like there are people that walk through this world and have no idea of the plight of others. There are people all over this world who suffer great injustices everyday. The very least we can do is be aware of that. Not only will this make us more appreciative of our own lives but, this awareness just might turn into action. Lastly, action is action no matter where is happens. Invisible Children might be a great cause but so is helping a mom with three kids load her groceries into a car or delivering a meal to those in need once a month.

I'm going to try to start spending the same amount of time exercising compassion towards the needs of others as I do exercising my thumbs to read the next tweet. That's where I'm starting. Maybe you could do the same.

Here's the article:
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/03/07/guest_post_joseph_kony_is_not_in_uganda_and_other_complicated_things

**note to the reader** this was written before 7am and before my first cup of coffee. Excuse the rambling :)