graduation

wow.

i just listened to coach jerry moore give the commencement speech, walked across the stage, and turned the tassel. it's official. i've graduated!! it feels so surreal. its been five years. i am definitely not the same person i was when i started. and that is a good thing. God has been better than good to me, His blessings are countless, and I couldn't be more thrilled about my life.

surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and i will dwell in the house of the LORD forever... forever, including today, tomorrow, and the next day! that is so exciting!!!!

i am so grateful for my mom and dad for their endless support/prayers, putting me through college. they are the best in the world for sure.

what an unforgettable weekend. thanks to everybody for making it what it was. you are all the best!! i love you all. mom, dad, g-rents, benji, tom, forman, brady, sam, ian, scott, matt, laura, karis. seriously the best.

dirty girl

Tom says I'm a "dirty girl." He says it so much that I almost believe him sometimes. When I'm by myself, and I do something dumb (real dumb), I find myself saying, "Austin, you dirty girl, what are you doing?" Thanks Tom. Preesh.

thinking about people

I've been thinking a lot lately about people... and how every person is different. My mom was at my apartment last weekend, and I thought about how I know her really well. We share a lot with each other. But as I was talking with her, it hit me that she is a different person than me. Sometimes when you are extremely close to someone, you feel like you are experiencing the same things. You feel each others pains and joys. But even as close as I am to my mother, I will never be her. I will never see the world exactly as she sees it. We are living two different lives. Our lives are very interconnected and involved, yet really so distant.

It was basically a realization that made me appreciate people individually. I am myself. No other person completely knows me. No other person comes even close to knowing me. And that is neat.

Even though we know relatively so little about each other, we relate and interact and love each other. By "we" I don't just mean my mom and me, but everyone.

I love my mom. She is awesome.