Forgetting to Remember, Remembering to Forget

Last week I was in New York City for an interview for a summer internship.  The view from my 9^th story Millennium Hotel room looked straight into the pit of what was the World Trade Center.  It was an absolutely incredible sight for several reasons:

1.       It was a fresh reminder of the destruction that we all too easily forget.

2.       It was an inspiration because there were construction crews working 24/7 to rebuild and create a beautiful memorial.

3.       Until you can look at the area from a bird’s eye view, you cannot fully grasp the size and magnitude of what the buildings were.

4.       The view was a photographer’s dream.

As I started snapping pictures of the site from my window and then down on the ground, I got to thinking about September 11^th.  I realized just how easy it is to forget about such a tragic event like this, the people who lost loved ones, and those who heroically gave their lives.  There is a wall outside of the fire department that when I was in New York just two years ago was covered with notes and flowers, but now just a few flowers remain.  As a nation, I feel like we may be forgetting to remember, but if we are always forgetting and living in the present, how can we ever learn from the past?

On the other hand, the remaining flowers also made me realize that there are family members and friends of those who died that day who are still living in the past memories they have.  Instead of forgetting to remember, they struggle with remembering to forget.  Yes, it is important to keep the memories of their loved ones alive, but at the same time they need to focus on their present life as well; living it to the fullest which is what their lost loved ones would want. 

The pit of the World Trade Center will always be a reminder of what happened, but the surrounding New York City towers cover the hole as we move on.  However, the coming memorial will be a reminder that we must never fully forget the past either.  There is a balance between remembering and forgetting.  Finding the perfect mix between the two will help us learn from the past while still living each day to the fullest.

Misty Mornings

The early morning is one of my favorite times of the day.  It is always so calm and peaceful, yet you can always sense nature’s eager anticipation for the day.  While on spring break in Destin, Florida last week, I decided to wake up early one morning and snap a few pictures as I meandered down the beach.  The calm, misty landscape before the rainstorm later that day is a harsh contrast to the stereotypical images that people conjure in their minds when they hear spring break and beach.  That is why I love these pictures; in a way they are like me in that I try to bring a bit of spice and unexpected twist to daily life. 

The beached fish I rescued and threw back in the ocean.

The Baylor row of houses.

"Footprints in the Sand"

Last night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.  “Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

What's Not To Love About Blogs?

While in Spain I became obsessed with blogs; writing my own blog and staying up until the wee hours of the night with my roommate Leah finding new ones.  I particularly like ones about weddings, baking, and decorating….just some of my interests.  Oh, and I am all about the pictures that they have so I decided to give you a summary and a little picture of some of my favorites.

Weddings:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/

This is my favorite wedding blog.  There are constantly new blog posts of real and staged weddings with fantastic ideas and gorgeous pictures.



Life and Decorating:

http://kfddesigns.blogspot.com/

This girl loves to paint and gives you all sorts of creative ideas of how you can decorate using paint... turning even the ugliest items into great pieces.

http://www.hollymathisinteriors.com/

This is the blog of a stay-at-home mom in Texas who has two adorable little boys.  She shares great ideas about decorating and has cute pictures of her sons.

http://www.younghouselove.com/

This young couple is adorable!  They have all sorts of great ideas about decorating on a budget.  I also love how they show how they planned their incredible wedding for under $4000.



http://www.kevinandamanda.com

This couple, Kevin and Amanda, are so cute.  They blog about everything from cities they visit to tips on taking photos to recipes they like to creative party decorations.



Fashion:

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

The Satorialist is a blog with amazing pictures of people they find on the streets of cities all over the world with a fantastic, unique senses of style.

Friends:

http://dontneedaparachute.blogspot.com/

One of my good friends at Baylor, Hannah Lee, started her blog about the same time I did.  I love it because we are both kind of obsessed with blogging, and I feel like it shows her fun loving, quirky personality.  She is an amazing artist and some of her artwork is on her blog as well.

Photos:

http://www.houseofturquoise.com/

This blog is a collection of pictures that have the color turquoise…be it a family room, seaside view, or even a flower.  Since turquoise is my favorite color, what’s not to like about this blog?



http://bferry.wordpress.com/

I love the pictures that Brian W. Ferry puts on this blog of his.  They are just of his everyday life in London, but I like his unique, simple compositions.

Recipes:

http://vanillakitchen.blogspot.com/

This blog has delicious recipes which all incorporate vanilla.