The reason I do it....

"If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much."

Marian Wright Edleman

"Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven

that one of these little ones should perish."

Matthew 18:14

Deer, Driveways and Regret

So this last weekend Rebecca and I took a little road trip. Bek came down Friday evening and stayed with me in NY (as Alicia commented last post- yes I live in a huge, grand house here in NY. If you want to see a picture- just ask!). We left Saturday morning and drove down to Scranton. Along the way we enjoyed our Road Trip CD, a little taste of everything! We were reminded how Route 81 has an over abundance of dead deer along the way. So, on our return trip we counted the roadkill (sick I know....)- there were 8.

The mission of this trip: to visit Hoban's in Dunmore. We have found no teaching store remotely like it- so we return to our college haunting grounds. Since they were closing early- we rushed through choosing our items (I felt like the contestants on that old show where they had just a few minutes to find items in the grocery store...).

After, we drove over to BBC. Oh my goodness! How beautiful! The new entranceway (which I know isn't that new, but I haven't been back since 2003) is gorgeous. So grand! And all the extra parking! The dorms look great now with the same brick design. The landscaping was beautiful too- we used to always say that flowers only came out for homecoming and graduation. I was truly impressed!

We visited for a bit with our Fletcher Dorm Parents. That was a blessing. It was nice to catch up on their lives and the goings on of the school and other dormmates. Some days, it doesn't feel like I graduated 5 years ago...but then I see their kids who were just toddlers when we lived in the dorm and I realize that it has been 5 years. We finished by exploring Jackson Hall and seeing the changes there. We stopped off in the evening in Goshen, NY to visit a friend who I met while student teaching. She is incredible- and I always get a good chuckle in during our visits.

Throughout the whole trip we reminisced about our time at BBC. I remember arriving that first semester (after 2 years at an even more conservative school) and really not liking BBC. I was pretty judgmental and expected that Christian spirituality had to look the same in everyone. Thankfully, the Lord worked in my heart and I came to understand that we are all unique and God's working in us is specific. In the end, I loved BBC. The professors, the spirit, the classes, the friends I made.

That's the best part of it all. The friends. I had the most amazing girls in my suite and we made so many memories together. We were able to be completely real and honest with each other. And were able to laugh at ourselves- like tripping over flowerpots in front of half the student body and accidentally sticking pens up one's nose at crucial moments. I have never laughed so hard as I did in B-suite. And when I get in touch with those friends, it all comes flooding back.
Returning to BBC also brings back unfortunate memories. During that time I was so chained to other's opinions of me. So much so, that outside my circle of friends, I never felt like I was truly myself. I allowed what I assumed other people thought of me to control my actions and responses. And there is nothing that I regret more. I missed amazing opportunities because of this fear- and those opportunities will never come again.

So-visiting BBC is full of mixed emotions. I am so glad the majority of them are positive, wonderful memories . But there is always that small pang of regret that creeps in. I am thankful for that pang- because it reminds me that I don't want to live a regretful life anymore. Instead, I'm choosing to live an adventurous one where I can say at the end of the day "no regrets"!