Monday Message

It's no secret that I've been waiting a long time for my Swiss residence permit. And I've been too busy with school to blog in the past two weeks. I also have my future on my mind, whether or not I'll start another program in Switzerland, which obviously weighs a lot on my permit situation. Basically, it's been a rough road. And because I know everyone has their own difficult situation, I thought I would just put a positive word out there today: everything will work out. I've been in some pretty crappy situations, but with the help of inspirational readings and great friends, I always find my way again.

Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying.

Studs Terkel

I go back and forth between enjoying my job taking care of children and being totally burned out. I would definitely like to have a job in a completely unrelated field in my near future. But when the kids are particularly cute or say something meaningful, I remember that I shouldn't take it for granted. Children are a blessing no matter if they're yours or not, and you can always learn something from them. And their unique way of life can help me get through mine.

All my days I have longed equally to travel the right road and to take my own errant path. 

Sigrid Undset

People have called me brave for living in Europe and not taking the "easy" way out, but I honestly see it as simply a way to prove to myself that I'm capable of doing something. The stereotypical path would have led me from a bachelors straight to a masters program and maybe a doctorate, which I would still love to do. But my strange desire to live in France from the time of my early childhood instilled a desire in me to do something "other." And so here I am, finding a mix of the two. My definition of normal is changing.

You swam in a river of chance and coincidence. You clung to the happiest accidents—the rest you let float by. 

David Wroblewski

I would say that pretty much all of my job findings here have been based on luck (well, maybe not since they've all been pretty crappy, but I'm focusing on timing here). Something falls through and then I miraculously find something else within a week or two. I have met great people through random encounters and they have changed my life for the better. So even though it's stressful to frequently fly by the seat of my pants, it's exhilarating, and there's always hope.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. 

Rabindranath Tagore

Long story short, I've been forced to learn to be constantly optimistic. Sure, I have plenty of down times. But since there have been countless times that I've fallen and gotten right back up, learning important life lessons, I've figured out that I can pretty much handle anything. We all can. It's just a matter of using the experiences we've accumulated, making new ones, and leaning on friends for a listening ear. It doesn't always even take hearing advice, but simply having someone to listen. No matter the storm, the sun will rise again.

Finally, my wonderful friend Marina has given me some poignant advice in my effort to stay positive. 

First, concerning hard times:

"How many times have you seen soldiers winning something without fighting for it? In other words, there are no victories won without battles."

And concerning my worry:

"God makes beautiful flowers everyday, and you think he hasn't planned a beautiful future for you?"