Overwhelmed

Late at night, up by myself in the dorm room, I often find myself overwhelmed with emotions.  Emotions that I try to cap but can't, emotions that want to burst out but only ooze in drips in this sterile environment.

You know what?  This'll be a first.  My brain's not functioning enough to form expressive sentences right now...  Pictures carry more words, and I will provide even more words as captions.

One

Most of the time I think, "Aw, that's cute.  My mom's beautiful."  Other times, I sit and stare for minutes.  Mostly I marvel at our closeness.  I look at the way that her arm surrounds me and almost feel her touch and warmth.  I look at the way that my arms enclose her and remember how that feels and exactly how big she was.  I look at the way that my head rests on her... and I can smell her makeup and warm breath.  Facebook says this became my profile picture on February 10th.  Two days before.  I had been missing her already.  Well, back then I had a reason to miss her; she wasn't here, she wasn't there.  Now, she's there, which means she's here.  Mommy I know you're here with me...  And not long before I see you again.

Two

[I Google-Imaged "warm fuzzy" with no success.  Here.  Pretend that there is a warm and fuzzy picture.]

Ah here is a warm and fuzzy picture!  Around my 17th birthday.  (...... Darn, two years.  Wow, I really took care of myself in high school, and Bryan was so... small?!)  Mmm... anyway, friends are indescribable.  I should really take more pictures.  I'm so glad I took what seemed like an excessive amount of pictures in high school.  I barely have any from college so far.  I think I'll add this to my 2010 resolutions...

Three

The one who makes all this possible.  The overwhelming grace.

My calendar of happy surprises (I literally have one!) has been filling up nicely...  Some nights, I strain to come up with something I can justify as a surprise blessing.  Tonight was definitely not one of those nights.  I find that if I just accept the opportunities that God presents to me, it's like....  breaking open a bahk (huge, yellow Korean melon) chock full of goodness.  Always better to do... than not.

Still hoping for that uninterrupted night's sleep.  May tonight be the one!