Grief and Gratitude.

Today is the day of my transition ceremony.

I can't help finding myself in the tension of two polar emotions.

On one side, I feel extreme gratitude for these past few years. Johnson City itself, has been like my own personal "promised land" filled with plenty of "milk and honey" (as well as many other great foods...lol). I can't even begin to recount all the blessings and all the great memories I've had in this stage of my life. God has truly filled my life with great people and helped make Johnson City feel like a home with plenty of love to go around.

At the same time I have grief. Grief knowing that there will be people that I won't see anymore. I only anticipate keeping in touch with a few members of my class (just in the nature of life typically works), and there is always that feeling like what did I leave undiscovered due to my own busyness or self-preoccupation. I think this quote sums up some of my thoughts (even though it has to do with funerals...and I don't think this ceremony is on that level of somberness by any means. lol.)

"I think we cry at funerals-even at funerals of people we don't like-because we realize what a miracle a life is. You realize, this will never happen again. There will never be this exact combination of genes, there will never again be the things that have created this person to be what he is. God has spoken uniquely here, and it's gone. It's over. And I think there's some regret, because. we all realize, boy, we didn't pay enough attention." - Rich Mullins

So here I am filled with both celebration for the great things that God has helped me discover in others here in Johnson City and regret for the people that I didn't pay enough attention to . I suppose my hope is that He will continually help increase my awareness and attentiveness to behold the beauty in those ahead of me that my path will soon intersect.

On a lighter note, I really hope I don't find myself in another "lifetime" moment tonight with my OT class. If it happens, so be it. They're worth it, one of my many families that I've learn to share this wonderful thing called life these past few years.