Live Life to the Fullest

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This past Sunday, my family encountered an unexpected loss of my grandmother. This past Sunday, I remember praying that things would go back to normal. Life is such an incredible and precious thing. I've learned, within the last 72 hours, that life is so short. Surely, this sounds cliché. But, it is the truth. I wish that I could say things have returned to normal. Instead, my family and I are dealing with how to create a new sense of normal for both my grandfather, as well as for the rest of us. We're trying to reach homeostasis, and I know that at some point we will get there.

For now, I'd like to use this post as a tribute to my grandmother. She was an English teacher, so I know that writing is the best possible way to reach her. My grandma and I were very close. To sum it up, she was the glue that held our family together. I have nothing but fond memories of her. From her laugh to her incredible cookies, she is the person that everyone wanted to be around. In fact, some of our family friends call her "the mother they wish they had." Still, I am waiting for her to call out from the kitchen that dinner is ready, and hug all of her grandchildren.

The reaction to the loss of a loved one is pretty surreal and indescribable. There is no concrete way to look at this subject, which is why I believe it is such a difficult topic to handle. However, I'd like to note that within this experience, I've found comfort in the fact that I know my grandmother has made a significant impact on our family's life. Thus, I cannot let death define her, because her life was so much more meaningful. Words cannot describe our love for her, nor can they describe her love for us.

My grandmother taught me not only how to live, but also how to die. I'll love her forever, and her spirit will be with me for the rest of my life. She has left a permanent impact on my identity.

To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die.
~Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground"

Photo Credit: My mom (Sylvia Schwartz)

New Found Love: Pinterest!

Recently, I discovered an incredible website that allows you to organize your thoughts and interests via a virtual pinboard.The website is called Pinterest, and people use it as a means for organizing events, decorating, and discovering new fashions. I cannot begin to tell you how many new, fascinating things I've found on Pinterest. But let me warn you, it is ADDICTING. I've spent hours upon hours on this site, and I know many others that feel the same way.

My favorite thing about Pinterest is that you can follow people from all across the world. I follow people from places such as Manhattan, North Carolina, and even Sweden! In doing so, I've come across billions of recipes, beautiful clothes, and even instructions on how to do your hair. While the website can suck a lot of timeout of you, I can honestly say that I've learned a lot from it. Pinterest allows you to unleash your creative side, something that I don't have a chance to do often otherwise.

My hope is that with the sudden spark of interest in this website across the world, we'll be able to use it in school for projects. It's a great way to organize your thoughts and find inspiration from others. So, to all my readers, request an invite on Pinterest today and follow me athttp://pinterest.com/sas910/! I promise that you will not regret it.

The following are some pictures from my Pinterest pinboard:

via http://pinterest.com/annakarwowski/

via http://pinterest.com/alexandrajesko/

Add food coloring to your sparkling water! via http://pinterest.com/spingurl/

via http://pinterest.com/sbschwartzie/

...And the list goes on!