Tangible Countdowns

My calendar now shows the month of September. It's funny how nothing has really changed. September still has 30 days, but boy does it ever seem smaller to me. I can also see the date 22nd now. It used to be a number in my head brought to the surface whenever someone asked, "so when do you actually leave?" Now I can see it. I can also see the crammed days leading up to it. When my focus was on living here my value was in balance. I wanted to be sure I had rest as well as time with friends. Now my focus has been shifted to time with friends and community no matter the imbalance. Don't worry, I'm sleeping and eating just fine. I'm just finding myself with the expected realization when faced with something extraordinary. I should say the extraordinary I face makes me see the extraordinary around me here. 


I have the extraordinary blessing of having lived with one particular lady for five years and with perfectly placed women of God over the past four years. Since my sophomore days I've had the extraordinary blessing of living in community. Every day was filled with "how are you's," hugs, and a shared appreciation of how chocolate always makes things better. I've also been blessed with a church family who've picked me up, shaken me up, and made me more of who God wants me to be. Even my coworkers have been extraordinary. From the Mail Center student worker to the Border's book seller and the GCE support team, every single one has shown me a bit more of the extraordinary within the ordinary of everyday life.


I want to leave well. That's a challenge when your evenings are swallowed up by rehearsals and late night practices (another extraordinary that I love). I find myself wanting to mass produce something I could give to each person that would express...everything. That's not too much to ask, right? I wish I had something that would wrap together everything I feel for and from them. Something that combined the words, "you've blessed me," "I'll miss you," and "it was no mistake we met." I want to leave knowing that each person knows how blessed I am to have known them. I also want to leave having given them everything I was meant to give; a last hug, a final word, a listening ear...whatever it is they need. But I can't. I can't guarantee that when I get on that plane I will have no regrets and no last minute, "Oh shoot, I forgot to say this to so and so." I'm just praying that I get to say goodbye well to the extraordinaries in my life here. September, don't you dare go by too fast.