{celebrating}

today was a good day...

i didn't need a jacket when i went to work today, it wasn't raining, i went to starbucks, we talked in strange accents all day in the sweltering workroom; all in a day's work at grad school!

but the good parts came in the afternoon.

as a lot of you know, a good friend and classmate passed away almost a year ago.  today, eku had a service to remember students, faculty and staff who passed away.  while the pain is still there, and we miss ry every day, it was so good to celebrate the life he lived and how he lived it.  it was fun to reminisce about ryan's endless bag of candy, his way of making everyone laugh and feel comfortable wherever he went, and the love he had for life.

ryan serves as a constant reminder for the closeness of our class at eku.  we aren't just students in the same major, we're family, and i love us.

ryan's parents are our class's mom and dad, and i'm so thankful for two wonderful people who shared their amazing son with us, and continue to stay in touch (and they chose to celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary with us!  way to go, mom and dad!), we love and support each other with a special bond that is unique to our class. (also, next time we're together, SOMEONE remember a camera!)

i am very blessed by the family of parents, classmates and professors i have at eku.


i got to end the night with a homemade meal by ian, followed by icees and a 2 hour walk around lexington under a clear sky and perfect temperatures :)


it's days like today that remind me how truly blessed i am, and how days like today will remain etched in my memory forever.