Today. Is. Our. Day.

Song of The Day: Under The Lights by Cassio Monroe (Graduation Version)

It's been a long road, you guys. It has been a beautiful and not so beautiful thirteen years, but you know what? We made it! This is our day, the day that we have worked so hard towards all of our life. As we part and go our separate ways, remember to cherish every moment from our journey. Whether the memories are good or bad, they have shaped us somehow. They have led us to where we are today. Do not think of graduating as a way to get away from this tiny town or from the people that have drove us crazy over the years, think of it as something you can check off from a long list of things you want to accomplish in life. I am going to miss this, all of this: the hallways, the yearbook room, my favorite teachers, the horrible cafeteria food, and my friends. Someone told me that we are only friends with the people we are close to in high school because we see them seven hours for five days out of the week. I hope that is not true. That is the scariest part about graduating--not seeing your friends as much. I remember my blog posts from earlier in the school year. I was crying and stressed about finding out who my real friends are. Now that I have found them, I am afraid to let go. This year, I have become friends with people I said I hate because others said they weren't cool enough. I think that I have grown mentally and emotionally. I no longer care what people think of me because I am friends with a certain person. I am my own person, and I am smiling right now because I know that this is true. Tonight, as we walk across that stage at Windsor High School, I want you all to know this it has been an absolute pleasure being able to spend some of the best days of my life with all of you. Believe it or not, each and every one of you in the class of 2014 has said or done something that I will remember. Believe that. I know today will be full of tears of joy and laughter. I am just so proud of each and every one of us. This will be a night to remember. Now, today would not just be right if I didn't end this sappy post with one of my favorite quotations that I have been waiting to use for the past five years. It fits perfectly.

“Today’s the day my life begins. Today I become a citizen of the world. Today I become a grown up. Today I become accountable to someone other than myself and my parents. Accountable for more than my grades. Today, I become accountable to the world. To the future. To all the possibilities that life has to offer. Starting today, my job is to show up wide eyed and willing and ready. For what, I don’t know. For anything. For everything. To take on life. To take on love. To take on the responsibility and possibility. Today, my friends, our lives begin. And, I for one can’t wait.” -Grey's Anatomy

Congratulations To The Class of 2014 

Is it really the most wonderful time of the year for everyone?

Song of The Day: Shake It Up x Natasha Bedingfield [One of my favorite Christmas songs]

Christmas is coming along. It's funny how this is the happiest, yet saddest, holiday for people all around the world. There is always so much festivity and joy during this time, but to know that there are some in the world who cannot feel this excitement for the holiday makes my heart hurt. I just wish there was someway to make this all better so that everyone could share the happiness together. I know that there is the angel tree, food drives, and all of those other donations from communities, but I wish there was someway, somehow, that we as a society could do much more. Knowing that little kids will not have the chance to wake up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning and not have gifts to open or a table spread with Christmas dinner is disheartening. We take what we have for granted, and it know that is a cliché, but it is too true. A group of ladies at my church recently came back from Kenya on a mission trip, and they told stories how different it is over there. After hearing the summary of their trip, I realize that we have so much to be grateful for, but most of us do not even notice it. The children in Africa were thrilled when they received something simple. They were flabbergasted when one of the women showed them that she could turn her cell phone around different ways to take a photo. They were just shocked that she had a cell phone. Sara (I believe it was her), one of the women who went on the trip, said that when their missionary group arrived to the village, first there were a few villagers arriving, but then several men, women, and children arrived just to see them. They walked just to come and see Americans. She said they kept asking why she was not Caucasian because not many of the previous missionaries consisted of black women. They were just astonished to see people of their own skin color that were from America, the place they have heard so much about. If we all were content with everything we had, our lives would be so much better. If we had the hearts of those children who were happy with what they had, we would all be so different. There is nothing wrong with living a simplistic lifestyle, but we chose not to. Of course those families in Kenya need help because of poverty, HIV/Aids, and other damaging factors, but they have what they need and they're happy with that. 

Another thing that ladies shared from their trip was that the adults and children praised God. No matter what their circumstances were, they praised. They danced, sang songs, and worshipped God for what they had. Hearing that today made me reflect on so much. We all have been given so much, but do we take a single moment to say thank you? A quote on Instagram a while back stopped me, and it said, “What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?” This single quote opened my mind so much. Take a moment to think about that. What if you woke up tomorrow morning with the things you thanked God for today? What would you awake up with? We have to think about these things. Every single chance we get, say thank you.

Always be grateful for everything you have. If it is only a pair of socks, be grateful because someone in the world does not have that. We do not look like what we have been through, so every chance you have, say thank you. As the holiday approaches, do something that will benefit someone else. We should do this all year round, but if you do not, please do. If you only give a quarter to the people standing in front of stores or give a bag of old clothes to a person in need, that is enough. Do something that will make someone else smile. No one should have to be down during the happiest time of the year. Life is too short not to do good deeds for each other. If you don't have anything to be happy about right now, take a deep breath. You are breathing, and that is EVERYTHING to be happy about.

Happy Holidays! With much love,

Summer E. Lawrence.

I TRIED!

I haven't blogged in what feels like ages because I have been extremely busy with school, so I have to make time for fun stuff like blogging.

I decided to write a sonnet for my English class. Honestly, I did it in hopes of getting some extra credit. I mean, who would not want some extra credit? As I was writing it, I was thinking that it was beginning to sound somewhat decent. Hopefully you all think the same.

Summer's Sonnet

I never knew telling you the truth would

Be just as bad as setting off a bomb.

A vanishing of everything that we could

Have been in the dead center of my palm.

The illusion of our love burning in

Flames that demolish what we never had

Makes my own hopes and dreams cease to end in

Very bitter memories- So sad.

But maybe this was serendipity-

A fortunate mistake by my own heart.

No longer will I have false imagery

That would not have worked from the very start.

As the fire continues to burn strong,

My heart begins to write a new song.

**I was comparing telling someone how a girl feels about a guy to a bomb detonating. The shift of the sonnet is in line 9 when I say that it was a good thing for the girl to tell that person how she feels because it never would have worked from the start.**

I know this isn't some jaw dropping, straight up phenomenal sonnet, but I thought this was pretty decent for my first try. I just thought I would share this with you guys. If you don't like it, that is completely cool. All that matters is that I tried! :)

Recap...

Song of The Day: Best I Ever Had by Gavin Degraw

Wooowww! I honestly can't believe I'm already three weeks into my senior year. Everything is starting to settle and sink in that I'm actually graduating in 100+ days. Yesterday that became VERY real to me because I submitted my first college application to Roanoke College! Seems crazy, right? School is going amazing, and I hope it stays that way. Of course there will be times where it may get stressful, but that's life.

The first week of school was beyond overwhelming. I am taking three AP classes this year. Yes, I said THREE! Freshman year, I never would have guessed or even thought about taking three AP classes or even one for that matter. One of my classes is online, and lets just say the first day of that sucked! The whole entire website was just straight up confusing. I finally just started getting the hang of it. 

I have never had so much work to do. I'm not complaining, I am just surprised. At times I feel like I'm in over my head because there is always something I have to be doing. I keep telling myself that this all will pay off in the end. All of the hard work is just preparing me for something greater.

In great news, I was voted senior class VP. Talk about being excited! I also was nominated for homecoming court, but I didn't win that. I was just happy that people nominated me. Everything is falling into place. My grades are pretty good at the moment, and I am happy. The best medicine is happiness :)

There will be moments when things aren't going too well and I will be stressed, but all of this is preparing me. It is preparing me for college and life. I know I can handle whatever life throws my way. I am just so happy and blessed to be surrounded by positive people. I can truly say I am in a great place in my life.

Can't wait to see how the rest of the year unfolds!

- Summer