Last night, I fell asleep watching my favorite collegiate basketball team, Duke, play Miami. I hadn’t been getting the best shut-eye for the past few nights, so naturally I dozed off. Right before I fell asleep, my mind began racing. You know how you have the most random-ass thoughts as you drift off into Dreamland? Much like everyone else, I had these unexplainable thoughts last night, too.

I thought about the kids playing in the game on both sides. For me college is over, but for them it’s just beginning. That, or it’s just beginning to get good. I haven’t been feeling like myself lately, and I think it’s because I’ve been missing college. Not college itself per se, but the years of my life college encompassed. I went back looking at all the photos from these past 5 or so years and felt a strong sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia is appreciable when you’re either distracted or progressing. Life has been a bit stagnant for me as of recent, so feeling nostalgic has developed into a personal longing for times I’ve had, all while living in a reality with which there is no rewind button.

Being human is painful sometimes. Cruel, if you will. Be reminded though, that appreciation is an aid of some sort to you in these moments of affliction. Finding people and things to be thankful for is the most simplistic way of accepting the nature of life, as strange is this sounds. I sat across from a good friend of mine at Cookout five years ago when she told me how nothing in life is permanent, not even life itself, before she went on to explain how wild she thought cell phones were. You see, when you appreciate things, you do not want to be without them. The fact all things have an expiration forces you to appreciate things, even if you don’t while you have them. Being grateful implicitly states you’ve accepted things as you know things aren’t here forever. Do you see how this works? Life at its core is simply a sequence of decisions being made through time. Realize the power you have.

I fell asleep on the couch. At some point during the night I woke up, turned the television off, and went straight to my bed. I didn’t get up until nine this morning, all without an alarm. Waking up refreshed without an alarm is something that hasn’t happened in years. It was a dreary morning, but I woke up very decisive and looking forward to new beginnings. I made a decision to be grateful for those moments I long for, but more than that, I decided to be appreciative of the moment I have right now. I’m deciding to make the best of everything I have presently, which is the best way I can think of in terms of being thankful for life and all the things I have trouble accepting.

With that being said, here’s to finding enjoyment in our journey and beauty in our destination.