Wonderfully Made

So despite the fact that my husband and I moved from Indiana to Ohio back in November, he is still a graduate student back at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN.  I'm so proud of him - he has worked full time since he started his full time graduate studies back in spring 2012, even through adversity (like breaking his arm and having to be in a full arm cast, etc.).  He has two semesters to go, so he is nearing the end!  His program is non-traditional, so most of his work can be done online, but he has to travel to Mishawaka for a week of class time for every class he takes.  So this week he had an Authentic Leadership class at Bethel, and since I'm still a technically "unemployed" poet-artist-freelance writer-whatever, I decided to go with him.  It has been a great trip so far.

We left Monday after Justin got off of work for the day and headed to Indiana.  Instead of going with him to Mishawaka, he dropped me off at my parents' house so I could spend some time with family, visit my grandfather, and celebrate my best friend's 26th birthday with her.

Justin said his class has been going great and he's had the opportunity to meet up with lots of old friends after class to catch up.  I plan on heading back to Mishawaka with him for his next class (which is actually on my birthday!) to meet up with friends and celebrate my birthday at some of our favorite places in our old stomping grounds.

On Tuesday, I went with my dad to visit my great grandfather.  He is kind of amazing.  He is almost 96 years old and still lives at home (on his own).  He has lots of people to check in on him, so he's been able to maintain his independence.  My dad is his main caretaker, so I tagged along and we took him lunch and spent the day talking and listening to his infinite stories.  (He was born in 1919, so he has some amazing stories to tell).  My dad told him I love antiques and he asked me what kind of antiques I liked.  To make a long story short, he sent my dad and I into the attic and basically told me to take whatever I wanted.  For an antique lover like me, it was paradise.  I couldn't believe the great things he had kept over the years.  I ended up leaving with a stack of old clay records, a whole bag of antique cameras with old film and flashbulbs, a vintage suitcase, and a 1948 Philco radio phonograph.  A 1948 PHILCO RADIO PHONOGRAPH!  He said him and my great grandmother bought it new (the Philco website says there were roughly 48,000 of them made and they sold for $159.95 in 1948), but that it had been in the attic for 50 years.  I love antiques and I love family heirlooms.  It was a wonderful day and I'm so glad I have these things to remind me of my grandfather and the wonderful life he has lived thus far.

Today was another great day.  Since Justin has our car at school, my dad drove me to Fort Wayne to visit my best friend and have a celebratory birthday lunch with her and her mom.  The four of us met for lunch at Scotty's Brewhouse, Cohen's favorite place.  My brother once took us to the Scotty's in Bloomington, IN, when Cohen and I went to visit him our junior year of college and we've been hooked ever since.  We were both ecstatic when they built new Scotty's restaurants in Mishawaka and then Fort Wayne.  We had a wonderful lunch talking and laughing and being our regular silly selves.  We really do have our own language.  A lot has changed over the years, but Cohen will always be Cohen and we will always be perfect (as our saying goes).  I never thought when I met her on the first day of seventh grade that we would become sisters or that we would go to the same college or that we would be roommates or that we would get our first place together after graduation or that she would be my maid of honor or that she would get sick.  It's been an amazing, wonderful, scary, bittersweet, blessed journey and I'm so glad God has blessed me with her along the way.

Celebrating Cohen's birthday today at Scotty's.

We don't have any big plans for tomorrow, but I'm certain it will be a good day.  I may clean up my old radio and give the wood some shine.  I might try to listen to one of the old records.  I might try to take a look at some of the film that's still in the cameras I found.

And as this week comes to an end, I will celebrate the life of my best friend, Cohen, and what she means to so many people.  And I will remember and celebrate the life of my grandma, who passed away in 2013 but who shared a birthday with Cohen.  They would always call each other on their birthdays each year and we would often celebrate together, and I will smile as I think of those memories this year.  Life is such a precious gift.

So remember to smile.  Life is a wonderful thing.  YOU are wonderful and beautiful!  You are made in God's image and you are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

God, wonderful are your works and my soul knows it very well.