That time of year…

photo taken by: Free Range Stock

Around this wintry and cold time of year, people are gearing up for finals, family, food, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, and much much more.  For me, this time of year it means my birthday, and then finals. As I turned seventeen this year, I was surrounded by people who I love and enjoy being around.  I got to spend the Sunday after my birthday with two amazing people.  I did not ask for much for my birthday, I just asked for letters.  Of course, being friends I was asked things like “are you sure that’s it?”, and “that is really sweet Kyra”. To all of these I simply said, “yes, that is what I want, one from each of you in group”.  If I had to choose a sentence that made me smile most, it would be from one birthday letter, stating, “…you requested a letter from each of us. And honestly, that is such a small request from someone who deserves so much”. It is crazy to think at one point I thought I was all alone.  Well I can tell you that right now I am NOT alone.  Not here on earth, nor will I ever be alone, I am walking with God and He has blessed me with people to cherish.  Anyway, these encouraging things, the Christmas songs in the hallways, the Christmas parties, and of course the hugs and smiles, have each given me a bit of strength in order to look with a positive mind for finals.  Students across the nation, including myself, are studying, getting ready to study, taking a break from studying, sleeping, going on Pinterest, etc., I mean we all have our own way to deal with the stress that comes with the end of the semester and the feeling that break is so close and almost close enough for us to grab and hold on to.  However, the tests, papers, presentations, or if you are lucky, study days instead of a final, take a tole on things like sleep, social life, and in some cases personal hygiene. My goal this year is to get all A’s, and I can guarantee that I am not the only one with this in mind.  I can do it, I know I can.  Stay strong my friends, only one more week!! Study hard, smile sweetly, and in the voice of one of my close friends, ALWAYS keep it classy!!

…but the best of friends…

Photo taken by: Chance Agrella

Sitting here sick gives me time to look back on recent events and smile.  Looking back to exactly a week ago, to last Tuesday, a group of friends and I went to dinner at Texas Road House for Conner’s Make-A-Wish event.  There were six of us in total, and after making some last minute plans, we were looking forward to a night of good food, laughter, and the opportunity to help an amazing kid receive his amazing wish.  The event was from 4 to about 9 and we all arrived there around 6:15 pm, and the wait was going to be about 45 minutes.  Although the joyful atmosphere, the peanuts on the ground, the staff dressed as Disney characters, and the feel of Christmas was exciting, I along with two of my girlfriends decided that PetCo would be a fantastic way to run out some of the time.  I had known about the glow-in-the dark fish, but the three of us decided to have a community fish and then pass it around every weekend or so, probably one of the funniest conversations I have ever had. It ended with the fish sitting on the table at dinner and how everyone would look at us funny, but it would have been our fish.  It turns out that PetCo does run out the time, because not long after we returned, the buzzer went off for us to be seated.  While at dinner we laughed, joked, and clapped for the birthdays going on around us.  At one point earlier that night, we were saying how maybe if we told one of the servers that it was our birthday then maybe we would be seated sooner.  That conversation was brought up again in the middle of dinner when my friend was joking with another friend about how he told the server it was her birthday.  There were about four other birthdays going on around us, and when the fifth one came around we were all wondering just who else had a birthday, because there was no way it could be us.  Sure enough, however, while I was looking around to see who was the lucky winner of vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate, I watched as our lovely waitress placed the little cup of sugar in front of me at my place setting.  I automatically assumed that it was the guy who was bugging my friend earlier, and I was incorrect.  Turns out that it was my friend who was seated next to me, and she had managed to keep it a secret the entire dinner.  Good for her!! I for sure could never have done something like that without laughing really hard or confessing the minute I told the server.  I have never been sung to for my birthday before, and even though I turn 17 in a little over a week, it was still a little exciting.   I can also say that I would not have wanted to be surrounded by any other group to share that moment of surprise with.  God has placed amazing friends in my life, and I am realizing that friends will go out and celebrate your birthday with you, but the best of friends will go behind your back and surprise you by having the servers at Texas Road House sing to you!!!