Looking Back

I always write when I should be asleep. I think that purging my mind of its many random thoughts is a good way to induce sleep, although I hope that reading these posts isn't making any of you readers sleepy, too.

Tonight I spent another wonderful time with my many great friends. I am still adjusting to the fact that school is over (for the college students... not for me) and that everyone is leaving for the summer. I think that these adjustments always make me a little nostalgic, even if I anticipate the next phase of my life with great enthusiasm. I'm just grateful for the many people I've gotten to know over the past weeks and months. Without them, this tiny town wouldn't have nearly as much of my heart as it does right now. As it is, though, I'm settled, waiting for the next chapter of my life to fall into place. I'm just so glad that I have such incredible friends to help me through it all.

Today as I drove to work, I noticed my rearview mirror slanting to give me a skewed view of what was behind me. I quickly reached to straighten the mirror, positioning it so that I could see just the side of my eye as I glanced out the back window. From this new angle, I appreciated the span of my backwards glances, even if I didn't really need them all that often (roads in Logan aren't often congested enough to use a rearview mirror). I caught myself analyzing this small gesture, and I understood the beauty of a simple mirror a little better as I saw more clearly than I had before. I think that the mirror, my journal(s), and my friends all enable me to appreciate what is behind me while allowing me to maintain my focus on what's ahead. I learn so much from the past, but I'm also able to use that information to guide my future. I think it's a beautiful cycle and I'm excited for the added depth and perspective I'm getting from adjusting my life's mirror.