Tuesday, April 7th
Hey guys,
I think it's interesting how quickly I form a connection with people. For these two girls, I have only known them for about 2 years, but at the same time, I can't imagine NOT having them in my life. In two years, I have grown so close to both of these girls, but in two completely different situations.
I'll start with Emily Lengal first, mainly because I met her first. Emily and my friendship blossomed out of tragedy and great loss for both of us, while I was grieving the loss of my brother, she was grieving the loss of her boyfriend of two days. Read that sentence again, TWO. DAYS. 48 HOURS! Literally the first time they held hands was in the hospital. From the get go, we were sort of drawn to each other, at the hospital we would do whatever we could to go in together to see him. At the funeral, she sat next to me, as a member of our "extended family" and was my rock for that day, and for the days to come. As time went on, our friendship blossomed, she became my life line of sorts, I knew that whatever I was dealing with in my life, I could come and talk to her about it, and she would do her best to help. The first summer she went home, it was very hard for both of us to say goodbye, but throughout the summer, we kept each other informed on what was going on in our lives, and supported each other in prayer. I remember one particular instance that REALLY opened my eyes to just how much Emily cares about me, as I was off at the Life Student Conference, a week that I KNEW going in would NOT be an easy week for me, she was in Pennsylvania, her home, supporting me in prayer. As she was counseling at summer camp, she could not shake the worry and heartbreak she had for me that week, so when her best friend asked her what was bothering her, she just broke down. She told her all about me, and where I was that week, and how hard it was going to be for me, and together, they sat there and prayed for me. How cool is THAT?! Anyways, that is only the beginning of our wonderful friendship, and I am so excited to see where the Lord decides to take this friendship.
Then, there is Emily Trowbridge. She and I met in the fall of my Senior year, she was a freshman at Wheaton, interested in helping with the high school ministry at our church. In that time in my life, I was really struggling, I was in a pretty severe depression, my friends did all that they could to try and help me, but they just couldn't understand what I was feeling and going through. I had basically dug myself a trench, protecting myself from the chaos and hurt and fear of life, while also dwelling on the sadness that consumed me. Emily did more than just try to help, Emily climbed into that trench with me, and fought the battles of life alongside me that year. When we met, we instantly realized that we have a LOT in common, we are very similar personality wise, we both love to laugh and have fun, we both love music, we even grew up in the same neighborhood and didn't even know it! Despite these many similarities that certainly HELPED to build our relationship, I think was really brought us together was that she, too had lost someone, she KNEW what I was going through. As Emily and I grew closer throughout the year, I began to consider baptism more seriously, knowing that not only was it my last year here, but also, there had been tremendous growth in me. When my youth leader told me that I needed to find a baptism mentor, who would walk through the baptism study with me, pray for me, support me, and lead the congregation in prayer for me on that night, my mind instantly went to Emily. That's not to say anything bad about any of the other leaders, but something inside me KNEW that Emily was the right person to do this with. As we ventured into the baptism study, shared our stories, and just continued to get to know each other over the next few months, we formed a special connection, one that no one else will ever have in my life. Emily is, was, and always will be my encouragement to get baptized, and my mentor. Emily is the sort of person that you can go days, weeks, maybe even months without seeing, yet in the back of your mind, you know she hasn't changed. When I see her, even if it HAS been months without talking, we pick up right where we left off, and I think that's awesome.
Being able to see either of these wonderful girls is a real treat for me, but today, I got to see them BOTH ON THE SAME DAY!!!!!! I spent all day yesterday finalizing plans, and just generally freaking out that I would get to see BOTH of my Emily's in one day! I am so blessed to have these two amazing women in my life, I love the unique connection I have with both of these girls, even though their names may be the same, our friendships are very different, but equally wonderful in their own way. I sincerely hope each of you reading this either have an Emily in your life(not literally...), or that one day you will FIND your Emily.
<3 Always,
Rose
Friday, April 10, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Day 315-The LaRusso's
Monday, April 6th
Hey guys,
So, since I've gotten to Chicago, I have been staying with our dear friends, the LaRusso's, but I have always known them as Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig. When we first moved from North to South Wheaton, they lived right down the street from us, and had two girls, the same age as Caroline and Graham. Caroline and their oldest, Adrianna quickly became best friends, and Graham and their youngest, Marina followed suit. I cannot even TELL you how many hours I've spent with them, how many laughs I've had with them, how many conversations I've had with them, or how many memories I've made with them. Basically, Aunt Gina, Uncle Craig, Adrianna, and Marina are a part of our family, they always have been, and they always will be. Growing up, neither of us had any family real close by, so we spent many holidays at each others house, particularly Christmas. Each Christmas Eve, for probably at LEAST 10 years, we would play spaceopoly, and because I was so little at the time, I got the great honor of being the "Laser Lady". I'm not going to lie, it was strange to be staying with Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig while both girls were away, especially Marina. When we were little, it was normally Adrianna and Caroline playing together, and Marina and Graham playing together, and then there was me...the awkward 3rd wheel...but since the loss of Graham, Marina and I have become MUCH closer, so yes, it was weird. It was weird staying in Marina's room, with pictures all over the place, while she's overseas in Ecuador, but it was also awesome. Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig have basically always been my "second-parents" if my real parents weren't around for some reason or another, and because their NOT my parents, I was able to have conversations with them without me being completely irrational and "teenager-ish", or feeling like I'm not being heard. All in all, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig for hosting me this week, I SO enjoyed it!
Hey guys,
So, since I've gotten to Chicago, I have been staying with our dear friends, the LaRusso's, but I have always known them as Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig. When we first moved from North to South Wheaton, they lived right down the street from us, and had two girls, the same age as Caroline and Graham. Caroline and their oldest, Adrianna quickly became best friends, and Graham and their youngest, Marina followed suit. I cannot even TELL you how many hours I've spent with them, how many laughs I've had with them, how many conversations I've had with them, or how many memories I've made with them. Basically, Aunt Gina, Uncle Craig, Adrianna, and Marina are a part of our family, they always have been, and they always will be. Growing up, neither of us had any family real close by, so we spent many holidays at each others house, particularly Christmas. Each Christmas Eve, for probably at LEAST 10 years, we would play spaceopoly, and because I was so little at the time, I got the great honor of being the "Laser Lady". I'm not going to lie, it was strange to be staying with Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig while both girls were away, especially Marina. When we were little, it was normally Adrianna and Caroline playing together, and Marina and Graham playing together, and then there was me...the awkward 3rd wheel...but since the loss of Graham, Marina and I have become MUCH closer, so yes, it was weird. It was weird staying in Marina's room, with pictures all over the place, while she's overseas in Ecuador, but it was also awesome. Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig have basically always been my "second-parents" if my real parents weren't around for some reason or another, and because their NOT my parents, I was able to have conversations with them without me being completely irrational and "teenager-ish", or feeling like I'm not being heard. All in all, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Aunt Gina and Uncle Craig for hosting me this week, I SO enjoyed it!
Back Row from Left: Mom, Dad, Uncle Craig, Aunt Gina
Middle from left: Caroline, Adrianna, Me, Marina
Bottom row:Graham
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 314-Easter
Sunday, April 5th
Hey guys,
So, to most of us, Easter is a wonderful thing. Easter is a reminder of God's great and awesome power, and of the price Jesus paid to make a way for sinners to enter into Heaven. However, to our family, and to many other families who have lost loved ones, it is so much more. Easter and the resurrection is a promise; a promise that we WILL see them again, we WILL have our questions answered, we WILL finally see why things happened the way they did, and above all, there will be NO. MORE. PAIN! To us, Easter is a bitter sweet time, while others rejoice at the thought of Christ conquering the grave, we are painfully reminded that Graham is there, and not here. It is sort of a conundrum, as believers, we are overjoyed to be able to enter heaven some day, and we are overjoyed that Graham is there now, but then as humans, that's NOT what we want. We either want Graham here now, or we want to be up in Heaven with him. Because of this conflict, Easter is a very hard time for me, for my family, and for many other families who have lost loved ones. Easter is both a celebration, and a grievance. One GREAT example of the Easter conundrum is that on Easter of 2012, Graham was professing his faith in Jesus, sharing his testimony to the congregation, and was baptized, but on Easter of 2013, we held his funeral in that very same sanctuary. I don't write this to criticize those who see the joy in Easter, or to "bum you out", but I write this to add a different perspective of Easter, one that is VERY real, one that hundreds and hundreds of families deal with. I write this as a reminder that Easter isn't all about the candy, or Easter egg hunts, or pretty dresses, or even a time a joy, it's also a time of sadness. It's a reminder that because of our sinful nature, God created a BARRIER that would forever separate us from him, one that could only be penetrated by Jesus himself. If you look back in Genesis, before The Fall, you will see, God had a VERY personal relationship with both Adam and Eve, he would walk in the garden with them every night, he would carry on conversations with them. After The Fall, that privilege was taken away, and a barrier was established between men and God. So, as you celebrate Easter this year, think about what Easter might mean to others, to someone who doesn't know God, it might just be a day to get free candy. I want to encourage you, if you know someone who has lost a family member, or just seems to be having a hard time celebrating this Easter, don't be afraid to talk to them about it!
Hey guys,
So, to most of us, Easter is a wonderful thing. Easter is a reminder of God's great and awesome power, and of the price Jesus paid to make a way for sinners to enter into Heaven. However, to our family, and to many other families who have lost loved ones, it is so much more. Easter and the resurrection is a promise; a promise that we WILL see them again, we WILL have our questions answered, we WILL finally see why things happened the way they did, and above all, there will be NO. MORE. PAIN! To us, Easter is a bitter sweet time, while others rejoice at the thought of Christ conquering the grave, we are painfully reminded that Graham is there, and not here. It is sort of a conundrum, as believers, we are overjoyed to be able to enter heaven some day, and we are overjoyed that Graham is there now, but then as humans, that's NOT what we want. We either want Graham here now, or we want to be up in Heaven with him. Because of this conflict, Easter is a very hard time for me, for my family, and for many other families who have lost loved ones. Easter is both a celebration, and a grievance. One GREAT example of the Easter conundrum is that on Easter of 2012, Graham was professing his faith in Jesus, sharing his testimony to the congregation, and was baptized, but on Easter of 2013, we held his funeral in that very same sanctuary. I don't write this to criticize those who see the joy in Easter, or to "bum you out", but I write this to add a different perspective of Easter, one that is VERY real, one that hundreds and hundreds of families deal with. I write this as a reminder that Easter isn't all about the candy, or Easter egg hunts, or pretty dresses, or even a time a joy, it's also a time of sadness. It's a reminder that because of our sinful nature, God created a BARRIER that would forever separate us from him, one that could only be penetrated by Jesus himself. If you look back in Genesis, before The Fall, you will see, God had a VERY personal relationship with both Adam and Eve, he would walk in the garden with them every night, he would carry on conversations with them. After The Fall, that privilege was taken away, and a barrier was established between men and God. So, as you celebrate Easter this year, think about what Easter might mean to others, to someone who doesn't know God, it might just be a day to get free candy. I want to encourage you, if you know someone who has lost a family member, or just seems to be having a hard time celebrating this Easter, don't be afraid to talk to them about it!
This prayer seemed to be the epitome of how I felt, and how my family felt this Easter.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 313-Great Friends
Saturday, April 4th
Hey guys,
So, I feel like this comes up a LOT in my blog posts, but my friends are AWESOME. I feel so blessed to be so well loved by so many different people, and this was made clear AGAIN today. As we were finishing our 13 hour drive yesterday, I got a text from my friend that I was going to see today that basically said, "We're all going to Starved Rock tomorrow, you're coming with. Be ready by 8:40, because we love you." EIGHT FORTY IN THE MORNING AFTER A THIRTEEN HOUR CAR TRIP??? WHO DOES THAT?!!! Well, the answer is, my friends, and me. So, I woke up early on my first "official" day of vacation, and spent the day exploring Starved Rock State Park with my friends for the majority of the day. Before I go any further, I need to clarify, this group of friends that I went with, they aren't even technically MY friends, they were GRAHAM'S friends, and have adopted me into their rag tag team in these past 2 years. That right there just shows you how much they loved Graham, how much they love our family, and how much they love me, they genuinely care about me, not as Graham's little sister, but as ROSE, and THAT means so much to me.
Hey guys,
So, I feel like this comes up a LOT in my blog posts, but my friends are AWESOME. I feel so blessed to be so well loved by so many different people, and this was made clear AGAIN today. As we were finishing our 13 hour drive yesterday, I got a text from my friend that I was going to see today that basically said, "We're all going to Starved Rock tomorrow, you're coming with. Be ready by 8:40, because we love you." EIGHT FORTY IN THE MORNING AFTER A THIRTEEN HOUR CAR TRIP??? WHO DOES THAT?!!! Well, the answer is, my friends, and me. So, I woke up early on my first "official" day of vacation, and spent the day exploring Starved Rock State Park with my friends for the majority of the day. Before I go any further, I need to clarify, this group of friends that I went with, they aren't even technically MY friends, they were GRAHAM'S friends, and have adopted me into their rag tag team in these past 2 years. That right there just shows you how much they loved Graham, how much they love our family, and how much they love me, they genuinely care about me, not as Graham's little sister, but as ROSE, and THAT means so much to me.
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 312-WE MADE IT!
Friday, April 3rd
Hey guys,
So, as a seasoned veteran of road trips, I can tell you, you always THINK it will be better the next time around, but unfortunately, it never really is. You'd think that you'd start getting used to road trips after a certain amount of hours or trips...yeah, not so much. I was basically born into a road tripping family, because we had family down in North Carolina, and also had family in Kansas City, we did at LEAST two road trips a year. Of course, as we grew older, road trips became more and more frequent, and more and more cramped. Let's just say, road tripping is never pleasant...for anyone...ever. I was so relieved this afternoon when we FINALLY ended our 13 hour journey to Chicago, and was able to get OUT OF THE CAR. Especially with the amount of kids, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, water bottles, coolers, electronics, food, and shoes in our car, it can often feel a bit like a clown car. However, we managed to survive, and after a small detour, we were FINALLY in Chicago, YIPPEE!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, as a seasoned veteran of road trips, I can tell you, you always THINK it will be better the next time around, but unfortunately, it never really is. You'd think that you'd start getting used to road trips after a certain amount of hours or trips...yeah, not so much. I was basically born into a road tripping family, because we had family down in North Carolina, and also had family in Kansas City, we did at LEAST two road trips a year. Of course, as we grew older, road trips became more and more frequent, and more and more cramped. Let's just say, road tripping is never pleasant...for anyone...ever. I was so relieved this afternoon when we FINALLY ended our 13 hour journey to Chicago, and was able to get OUT OF THE CAR. Especially with the amount of kids, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, water bottles, coolers, electronics, food, and shoes in our car, it can often feel a bit like a clown car. However, we managed to survive, and after a small detour, we were FINALLY in Chicago, YIPPEE!!
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 311- Getting a bed!
Thursday, April 2nd
Hey guys,
So, unless you have a massively large family like I do, it is likely that you've never experienced this, and that is a good thing, BELIEVE ME. In most hotels, it is actually UNLAWFUL for a family of 6 to stay in one room, for pretty obvious safety reasons...anyways, our family lucked out tonight and was actually able to find a hotel that would let us all stay in one room. Once we got to the room, we realized we had another issue, no one wanted to sleep on the cot. Being the only girl normally when we travel, I am USUALLY the one who ends up sleeping on the cot, but tonight, since I DID just drive 11 hours trapped in the back seat with Aedon(if you know him well, I'm sure you can imagine...and if you don't, just picture a squirrel, on steroids, being given coffee, trapped in the car for 11 hours), it was only fair that Aedon and I should get the bed. We were actually able to get a good nights sleep, which was nice for me, considering every other night spent in a hotel on this trip, I slept either on the floor, or on a cot...
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, unless you have a massively large family like I do, it is likely that you've never experienced this, and that is a good thing, BELIEVE ME. In most hotels, it is actually UNLAWFUL for a family of 6 to stay in one room, for pretty obvious safety reasons...anyways, our family lucked out tonight and was actually able to find a hotel that would let us all stay in one room. Once we got to the room, we realized we had another issue, no one wanted to sleep on the cot. Being the only girl normally when we travel, I am USUALLY the one who ends up sleeping on the cot, but tonight, since I DID just drive 11 hours trapped in the back seat with Aedon(if you know him well, I'm sure you can imagine...and if you don't, just picture a squirrel, on steroids, being given coffee, trapped in the car for 11 hours), it was only fair that Aedon and I should get the bed. We were actually able to get a good nights sleep, which was nice for me, considering every other night spent in a hotel on this trip, I slept either on the floor, or on a cot...
<3 Always,
Rose
Day 310-Community
Wednesday, April 1st
Hey guys,
So, as the weekly all church dinner began to wind down, I began thinking of ALL the things that needed to be done before leaving for Spring Break the next morning, but even before that, it hit me like a train driving full speed, I'm not going to see these people for at LEAST a week, for most of them probably more. I have grown so accustomed to seeing my friends 3-4 times a week at the VERY least, but most weeks it's more like 4, 5, or even 6 times a week. So, to realize that I wouldn't see ANY of my friends for a whole 8 days at the very least, that was a lot to take in. Now, yes, it IS only 8 days, so it's NOT the end of the world, but for us, or at least for me, it was a BIG deal. On the flip side, I hadn't seen most of my friends in Chicago since the Fall, so I was BEYOND excited to see them. All I know is, as I began to realize the reality that I wouldn't be at church for at LEAST 8 days, so many people did a double take. Both little Norris girls were seriously trying to wrap their heads around the fact that I DO have other people who love me, and want to see me, and that completely melted my heart. A church community like ours is very hard to find, and I know that personally, I am SO blessed by the close knit community that is First Presbyterian Church.
<3 Always,
Rose
Hey guys,
So, as the weekly all church dinner began to wind down, I began thinking of ALL the things that needed to be done before leaving for Spring Break the next morning, but even before that, it hit me like a train driving full speed, I'm not going to see these people for at LEAST a week, for most of them probably more. I have grown so accustomed to seeing my friends 3-4 times a week at the VERY least, but most weeks it's more like 4, 5, or even 6 times a week. So, to realize that I wouldn't see ANY of my friends for a whole 8 days at the very least, that was a lot to take in. Now, yes, it IS only 8 days, so it's NOT the end of the world, but for us, or at least for me, it was a BIG deal. On the flip side, I hadn't seen most of my friends in Chicago since the Fall, so I was BEYOND excited to see them. All I know is, as I began to realize the reality that I wouldn't be at church for at LEAST 8 days, so many people did a double take. Both little Norris girls were seriously trying to wrap their heads around the fact that I DO have other people who love me, and want to see me, and that completely melted my heart. A church community like ours is very hard to find, and I know that personally, I am SO blessed by the close knit community that is First Presbyterian Church.
<3 Always,
Rose
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