1 LOVE: Taken from a journal entry from this past summer: “This past week, I’ve spent more hours with a soccer ball than I have at work. Today alone, I got well over 1,000 touches on the ball. Why though? I don’t have a college team to train for, a club to start practice with, or a community to represent, so why did I decide to pick up the ball? I’ve come to realize that when something has been a significant part of your life for so long, you can’t just drop it cold turkey. It’s like an addiction. I told myself that I would be more than okay with just giving it up; that it’d be easy. It’s not. I had no idea the power that the ball had over me. Today, it was my Nikes, in the rain, on the driveway. I became lost in the sound of the ball hitting off the metal caps on my laces and suddenly, it was just the ball and I; longtime friends catching up over a slab of concrete. The world became quiet, time stood still, and I was just there; completely present and enjoying my interaction. No matter how long I go without a good pickup game, a juggling session, or a run, I know that the ball will always be waiting for me to come back home and lace up my shoes. I’m not saying that we always got along; I sat out of too many games to say that, but when it got tough and it didn’t seem fun, it wasn’t the game giving up on me, it was me giving up on the game, and ultimately, a piece of myself. No matter how many times I lost faith in the game, it one-upped me, giving me ten reasons why I loved it. I’m grateful for all of the lessons, joy, and truth that this sport has given me. And you know what? I’m not done catching up yet.”

 

 1 Time:

 

I thought that I would include time as something that was important to me, not only because my watch is one of my favorite accessories, but because time is so precious. We take time for granted every single day—we sleep away the time that could be spent being productive or spent with our loved ones. We regret wasting our time, we get angry that we don’t have enough time, and yet, we don’t appreciate the time that we have here and now. Being present in whatever task I am set to accomplish is a huge piece of who I am. I like to be fully engaged, soaking up every last drop. We only have one time, so please, use it wisely.

 

 

1 Person: This is Zach, aka, my one person. He’s the person that will literally lift me up when I’m down, who opens doors, compliments my character before my outward appearance, offers foot rubs, and speaks to my soul. He’s the guy that I could sit on a park bench with for hours upon end and never run out of things to talk about. He gets me at my core and loves me regardless. He wipes the hair from my face just to see my eyes, yells to the empty air when we’re running, “This girl? Yeah, she’s mine. You cannot have her, ever.” He buys flowers and throws rocks at the window, summoning me to listen to his sweet words or even a simple, “Hey, do you want dinner?” I’m grateful, blessed, and ever so fortunate to have a guy that challenges me to continually improve upon my skills at being a good human.

 

 

 

TWO Broken Bones, Parents, Sibling Unit, Peeps

 

 

2 Broken Bones: It was down to the minute—exactly one week earlier, I had arrived on campus for the start of my freshman year of college and bam—I was in the ER going through triage while attempting to stay conscious. They told me that I was fortunate, that it was the best case scenario. I’m sorry, but I’m pretty sure that breaking two bones in your arm in your first week of college was pretty terrible no matter how you tried to spin the story. They gave me good drugs, or so I kept telling my family, while they set the bone for the night. I woke up early the next morning for surgery and a day later, I was discharged to go home for a week or so to start healing. I hardly made it out of the patient room before the nausea hit—it hit like a ton of bricks, repeatedly dropping, one at a time, sending me into shakes and gagging. I never take pain medicine, so being on hard pain meds did a number to my system. I couldn’t function for days…I couldn’t even choose a movie on Netflix without falling asleep before I could press play. I was frustrated. You never fully grasp being fully dexterous until you lose it. It took me fifteen minutes to put on my earrings, twenty-five minutes for my jeans, and I don’t even want to go into the difficulty of washing my own hair. I was dependent on everything and everyone—no longer free to do as I pleased or do any task with ease. I lost my stress reliever—no more soccer, no running, no arm workouts and oh by the way, have a great time trying to catch up with all of your schoolwork. This event helped me to realize the value I place on my independence and my ability to persevere.

 

2 Parents: I honestly didn’t realize how unique it was to have two, married parents, not having been divorced. These two are my rock–always supporting me, guiding me, and showing me what it takes to be a strong, self-sufficient, confident lady. They show me selfless love in their actions, words, and in the way that they have raised me. I used to get upset that we had rules at our house, because so many other kids didn’t, but now, I only appreciate it. They provided the foundation upon which I am living my life and I am truly grateful for how they’ve created a lasting impact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just the 2 of us/Sibling Unit: This is my sister Lauren. Even though we are technically 22 months apart, she’s the person that I feel closest to. We’re mistaken for twins 98% of the time and she’s the half that I lack. Where I lack, she fills, and vice versa. Never will you meet someone as brutally honest as her, but never would you guess that she’s the one who will always cheer for the underdog. Lauren, you’re impatient, sassy, and sometimes a huge pain in the butt, but I wouldn’t trade the bond that we share as sisters for anything. Thank you for always taking pictures with me, laughing at me, and passive-aggressively cheering me on. You da real MVP girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Peeps: Luke is the kid that you can simultaneously love and hate all at the same time. You made me realize that I’ve always deserved more, that I am loved by a God that is greater than I, and that true friendship stands the tests of life and is an important thing to carry with you. Luke is the person that I want to call if something off the wall happens or if I need someone to see clearly for me when I’m too lost in my own situation. I don’t thank him enough for all that he does for me, but I value him immensely. Plus, we just always take the cutest pictures! Luke, you keep me grounded, accountable, and honest.

 

 

 

 

THREE Trios 

Micah and Jacob are two of my best friends. No matter what we end up doing, we’re always laughing about something stupid, going on adventures, eating lots of food, and taking lots of funny pictures. We are a trio of traditions. After every single rivalry game, we would go to Pizza Hut to hang out. Then, we always took trips to Plainwell Ice Cream together. We have checked out numerous beaches, packed picnic lunches, watched movies all day, and just have a grand old time. It’s never a dull moment with those two boys.

 

 

Olivia is one of the loudest, funniest, and most selfless people that I’ve ever met. She radiates joy, joy, joy! One of my favorite things about this sweet soul is that she listens to your heart when you’re speaking and her laugh makes you want to burst into laughter instantly. Fortunate for me, she has been in my life since Kindergarten, where we became the best of friends. For a little bit, she was Lauren’s best friend, but now, the three of us can spend time together just dancing to old Disney movies, laughing about nothing, and talking of the finer things in life. As shown, whenever we are together, it’s a mix of personalities that all coexist in a high-functioning dysfunctional way.