We Only Get 24 Hours

               We're starting to hit the point in the semester when there is so much to do and so little time to do it. There's homework to be done, papers to be written, music to learn, and mid-terms to take. Add in trying to work part-time, being social (at least on weekends), and getting enough sleep to muddle through the next day and you have like 30 hours of activity packed into a 24 hour time span. Everything is constantly go, go, go... and it's exhausting. 
               A night in advance, I can pretty much tell  you how I will be spending every minute of the day to come. Whether it's in class, grabbing lunch with a friend, doing homework, practicing or taking a nap- I learned pretty fast how to manage time in ways that will bring me the least displeasure. Meaning: learning about centripetal motion certainly doesn't bring me pleasure, but if I study it effectively and get my homework done quickly, I can move on to things that I am passionate about and that bring me joy.
              On days like today, when every minute feels scheduled and time fades away much too quickly I find it is good to just stop for a little while. To embrace the beauty of silence.  To meditate. To pray. To focus in on the random little things that brighten my day; things that seem mundane but are truly wonderful when you think about them. Things like:

• A good cup of coffee in the morning to give energy when it's most needed
• Colorful pens that help me color code my notes
• Hearing your favorite song from a few months ago, and reminiscing on good times passed
• A smile from a total stranger
• A smile and hug from an old friend
• The reassuring "Mhmm" sounds people make when you're talking to them or they're listening to someone else speak (lately, I've mainly noticed it from professors)- it lets you know they are listening and actively engaged in what is being said
• Sharpie doodles on binders
• A group of 12 cellists using their talents together to make glorious music- I seriously cannot help but smile when I see and hear everyone weaving the musical lines together in a way that encompasses the prodigy, the beginner and everyone in between
• Organic almond butter
• Thought provoking questions and statements that alter your thinking on a particular subject
• Thinking of all the wonderful possibilities for the future
• Good music, no matter how you define that
• Star-gazing
• Comfy clothes, my big pillow with colorful fish on it, and a heating vent/ fireplace that make doing homework a little more cozy
• Reading God's Word after a long day and remembering that everything is going to be alright in the end

Things like these make life lovely, even in times of work and stress.