First Day of School

Like many of you, the welcomed excitement of the beginning of the school year has entered my home. However, unlike many of you - it does not revolve around which cartoon character will be emblazoned across a "too cool" lunchbox or picking out crayons, pencils and glue to fill a pencil box for my wee one. The beginning of school rituals have instead been a serious time of learning before actual classes have begun - how to maneuver through the financial aid processes for the first time, obtaining my student id (what I will refer to as documentation for serious student discounts), signing up for my student discounted (thank you!) public transportation bus pass, registering my car - still working on all of the parking stickers my Vivian is entitled to, learning a new campus, and the customary meeting new people, among other things like moving across the country and discovering where gas stations and markets are located. While taking care of all of these details, somewhere along the way I forgot to consider what I would wear on my first day of school - something that my mom always made a big deal over so she could take our picture on the first day of school. However, after reading my assigned text way into this am, by the time I snuggled into bed (after stepping over piles and piles of random paperwork and necklaces that have not yet found a home) the brief thought of not having picked out my "here I am grad school" instantly turned into REM.

Thankfully, my sister sent pictures from my sweet nephew's Baby Dedication yesterday (sorry I wasn't there Major!) and after remembering her outfit from the pictures this morning I decided I would try on the same skirt she was wearing (a find we both bought several years ago - which actually fit today, a good day). It worked, on with a top and for the first day of school I actually ironed - a trend that will probably die by Thursday of this week. Anyhoo, thanks for the inspiration Lindsey! :)

After yesterday's graduate school orientation, I was totally inspired to start today. It has been a long journey to get to this place of graduate school. Therefore, there have been no nervousness - if I can make it through security checkpoints in China with machine guns 7 feet away, surely I can make it through a lecture - just feelings of accomplishment and pride to have reached this point.

My class is 24 strong. Three males, six states, serious diversity in our educational backgrounds, and a heaping dose of ambition to make life better for the lives we will touch. For the next two years, we will do nothing but read, write papers, and immerse ourselves in learning from our absolutely amazing professors - throughout orientation today I was so grateful for the Lord leading me to this school - I am continually amazed at the caliber of professors only matched by their caring and personable nature. It's also pretty fabulous that the newly chosen University colors include the shade of my sofa....a fabulous green - that those of you who have visited will have to agree is pretty cool. We will finish up our learning with clinical rotations in various settings. All while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA. I can only hope I've slept enough the past few years to get me through the next two.

I find myself already changing. This newly created journey in Pittsburgh has already begun to teach some very special lessons in contentment, going to new depths in developing a heart of compassion, and affirming my desires for continued learning, finding and encouraging myself and others of our intrinsic value, and making a substantial difference in this world I call home.

Well, what was my first day of school...at 2:40 am...it is now my second day of school. Thank goodness I don't have to pack my Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox and clothes will have to wait until tomorrow to be ironed. But I will go to sleep with contentment knowing that yet another goal has been achieved by walking into Dilworth Hall this morning as a graduate student in the Chatham University Class of 2010. And it continues tomorrow.

Thank you to all who sent messages of encouragement and congratulations on this milestone of MY first day of school! Your celebrating with me made it that much more special to know I was remembered and prayed for....thanks for walking this journey with me.

Oh...and sorry Mom, I completely forgot to take the first day of school picture. Missed having you here to take it for me.