Choosing to be grateful

Last week at internship I had a client, a middle schooler, who was doing poorly in school. When prompted on what was going on, she said she is stressed at school about the physical abuse her two baby sisters endure daily from her mother's boyfriend. I talked with this girl more and the other intern on the case made a report.
The next day I found myself on the way to the gym and not wanting to go with every ounce in me. My mind flashed to her and I started thinking about the concept of choosing to be grateful. This happened again when I started dreading going to my class that same day. I am fortunate to be able to go to a gym and college and enjoy all the other things I am blessed with, and if my biggest stress is that I have a paper to write or I think my teacher is boring while this little girl is busy stressing about if her sisters will come for the weekend with bruises all over, wow I have a lot to be thankful for.
I have been working on choosing to be grateful and more so act grateful. My class is no less boring, that paper still has to be written, and that workout is going to be hard but my outlook has changed. I feel blessed to struggle through a workout, that I am physically able to do so while so many cannot. I feel blessed to be in college so that I can help people like this girl. I am working on acting on these feeling, acting grateful.

Closing one chapter to open another

The idea of graduating college is so surreal. The reality that I am about to close this chapter, a chapter that is over and can never be reopened. Since I can remember there have been those adults that have always said "enjoy being a kid it goes by fast" "enjoy high school it will fly by" "enjoy college they are the best days of your life." As I go through my last month of school I can't help but feel like I am just checking off chapters in a book

Childhood: Check

High school: Check

College: Check

And I know the big ones are still to come, like grad school, marriage, children, etc. It's just weird to think of never ever ever being a kid again or being in college again and this summer will be my last summer.

I guess all I'm saying is that it is weird...growing up is weird