Hey Everyone...I just wanted to share this...sorry for making my first post such a loooong one...but its worth the read. Enjoy!

Mara

Honestly, this sums it up. 

Somewhere between the procrastination and the homework and the incessant
forewords and the new friendships and the complaining about girlfriends, and
somewhere between the phone calls to old friends, and the I miss you's
and the I love you's and the I can't wait to see you again's, and
somewhere between all of the changing and growing, and somewhere
between the classes and the skipping classes, and the studying for tests and
the pretending to study for tests, and the downright not studying for
tests... I forgot.

I forgot what it was like to be in high school, I forgot what it meant to cry,
I forgot that pretending to be happy doesn't make you happy, and pretending to
be smart doesn't make you smart. I forgot that you can't just forget the past.
I forgot that you can't control falling in love and that you can't make
yourself fall in love. I learned that I can love. I learned that good food
doesn't really seem great until you can't have it anymore.
I noticed that I get along better with my family now than I ever
did before, and that wasn't because they changed, but because I changed.  I
learned that going to university means making choices and that making
choices can get you in trouble. I learned that its okay to mess up, its
okay to ask for help and that its okay to feel bad. I learned
that sometimes the things that you want most, you just can't have.

I learned that the greatest thing about university isn't the parties
or the drinking, or the relationships, its the chances--taking the chances and
then making the most of them. I learned that sometimes the things we
want to forget are the things which me most need to talk about. I learned
that once you get to university, things don't automatically get better, it's
all about what you make of them. I learned that letters from friends are the
most important thing and that sending cards to your friends makes you feel
better.

I learned that my mom seemed to get a lot smarter once I started listening to
her. I learned that I love my sister beyond most anything. I learned that high
school was good for me and that the challenges in high school are nothing.
Somewhere along the line, I learned if you look for love you'll
never find it. I learned that some people will do anything to try and
make you see their point. I learned that its really hard to explain
yourself. I learned that its easy to have views, its easy to have
friends, but that its hard to stick up for both of them if everyone else
disagrees, but I learned its worth it to stick up for both of them in the long
run.

I learned that I don't have to be the center of attention to have
fun, and I learned that being the center of attention isn't always fun.
I learned that laughter is the best medicine and that friends who make
you laugh are the best kind to have.


I learned that there is a fine distinction between friendship and love and
that friendship is the more valuable of the two.


I learned that sometimes its not always possible to agree and that sometimes
its necessary to compromise. I learned that everyone has a few problems in
life, and, that everyone can laugh about them later. I learned that kisses
aren't contracts. I learned that I am my own person. I found out that I am
just starting to find out about me. I learned that its never too late to
change. I learned that change is good sometimes. I learned that no matter what
happens, they still care about you.

I learned that you should tell people how you feel about them.

I learned that sometimes I need to be alone. I learned about life
I learned about love, I learned about me, I learned. I learned that
some of the most valuable lessons in life are the ones you can't teach in a
classroom. I learned that no matter what I want to be, I will have to
take a class that I don't like in order to get there. I learned that
there is so much that I have to learn. I learned that university is
different from everything I thought it would be.

I learned that life isn't always about me. I learned that I should stick up
for myself. I learned that this is hard to do. I learned that people should
like me for me, and that I should like me for me. I learned that things change
and people change and that its not always possible to stay in touch with
everyone. 

I learned that some people are your friends for life, even when you doubt it,
through fights, and being apart for what seems like forever, they are still
there. I learned that though you may doubt them, you always know in your heart
that because you are friends everything will be alright. I learned that
friends make everything better and that I should thank all of my friends for
being there for me and helping me learn.

There is an ancient Ojibwe saying (you'll excuse my ancient Objibwe) that goes
something like this:
"The truth is as such: from where I stand, the truth is all that I see".

Let's give everything one more chance.  

Let's move on.