Something Like a Resolution

I don't know how I feel about New Years Resolutions, part of me thinks that they are silly un-reachable goals that society has pressured us into making. The other part of me likes the idea of change.

Here are some of my very reachable goals I have made for 2011::

--I want to tell the people I love, that I love them

--I want to slow down

--I want to plant a flower

--I want to watch the news

--I want to watch the stars

--I want to go ice skating

--I want to sing for someone

--I want to give sushi a second chance

--I want to go caving in Arkansas

Some more serious ones...

--I want to find a church in Siloam

--I want to start tithing regularly

--I want to read all of the CS Lewis books

--I want to get a real summer job

And some less realistic ones...

--I want to run the Disney 1/2 marathon

Patience

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures shows not only impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience, is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea. ::anne morrow lindbergh

I think I'm being taught patience. I don't like it.

Happy?

I hugged my family. I unpacked. I put everything away. I spent time with friends. I finished a book. I mended a relationship. I went to church. I went on a run. I baked some cookies. I ate way too many cookies. I died my hair. I got some bangs. I cried because the bangs are wierd.

I tried to find happiness in the things that I missed while I was in Ireland. I didn't find it.

God isn't just a pill to pop when you're feeling sad or achey or have recieved bad news. He doesn't make everything better with His magic wand either. He's so deep that I'll never ever understand Him or know Him fully. But I have to keep trying, keep learning, keep making mistakes and learning from them. Keep looking forward to a place where there will be no more tears.

Isaiah 35: 10---"Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness"

Familiar

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow"-Lin Yutang.

I slept in my own (king size) bed last night, crammed between three of my best friends. My marvelous friends were in cahoots with my mom and planned a surprise party for me when I got home. I was completely surprised! I've always dreamed of having a surprise party, and I can't

believe it acutally happened. I was always afraid of what would happen if I ever did have a surprise party...like, would I look absolutely awful, or be wearing my pajamas? Well, I must admit that after like 20 hours of traveling and sitting in airports and lugging huge suitcases all the way across the Atlantic, I wasn't exactly put together. But it was still so so so wonderful

.

The not so wonderful part of being home is this whole jetlag thing. I woke up at 6 AM and it felt like noon. I was so productive though! I baked and I ran a few miles and I checked my facebook and I woke up my mom and made her talk to me. The worst part came at 6 pm tonight, when I felt like it was midnight. I looked like a zombie walking through Target.

But, I purchased this book, upon recomen

dation from a friend.

The movie is coming out soon, and I am so excited! See the preview here. Yes, it has Miley Cyrus in it. Oh, by the way, this is one of my favorite hobbies: reading the book and then going and watching the movie when it comes out. Usually I'm dissapointed by the movie, because my imagination does way better than Hollywood. But I actually like that. It helps me keep believing in the future of writers and the power of the imagination.

Tomorrow Brings the End

Tomorrow is Goodbye.

"Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, and somewhere in the middle we became best of friends" -unknown.

I've learned to love Ireland and all the things that make it so different from America. I love that they call ketchup "red sauce" and the way they are continually asking the forever question, "tea or coffee?" I love their accent and saying like "it was crack" instead of the ever-lame, "it was cool." And there's more:: Their wonderful yet sarcastic humor. Their hospitality. Their faith. I don't know how I will fit back into the fast-paced, fast-track of American life. I hope I can make time for tea and scones with my friends, I hope I can find a bus to ride around town, a walk to go on before meal time. Above all, I hope I will never forget.

"I've learned that goodbyes will always hurt, pictures can never replace being there, thanks is a feeble word, memories forget the hard times, words can never replace feelings, and heroes often go unsung"--unknown.

{Goodbye to my dear friends--a hello is in our future.

Hundreds of pictures--they can't replace experience.

Thank you for everything--it's not enough.

Memories--that turn into daydreams.

My unsung hero--Hadden Wilson}

Reunions

"Every goodbye is a taste of hell and every reunion a taste of heaven"-Unknown

We had our family reunion last night, and it was just grand. I met so many Irish Wilsons, and hung out with the lovely Laura for most of the night. There was a dance floor, but sadly, no one used it. I wanted to though... Pictures will be up soon! Everyone kept asking me when I was coming back to NI, and I told them to give me two and a half years and I would be back at Queens to get my masters degree. Now just to make that happen....

I met a lady last night that I'm related to who lived about 5 minutes from me for the past three months. She was so sweet. She said one of the nic

est things anyone has said to me in a while! She told me that she could hear Ulster (Northern Ireland) words in my vocabulary. I was so excited about this!

Today is our last day in Northern Ireland, I leave for Dublin early tomorrow morning and then fly out Saturday. It's mixed emotions for me. I miss so many people right now. I miss my family and I miss my Finaghy Family and I miss my Belfast friends. But I've loved hanging out with my dad and my cousins. I guess it's just finding contentment in where God has me currently. I'm excited to understand what He has been doing by sending me here to Ireland, even though I don't think it's something I'll understand until that awful word, "later."

Side Note: Imagine this guy, but with grey hair and in the middle of December.

And you'll be imagining my dad. He's wearing shorts today and has a huge camera hung around his neck. And a big flashing sign above his head that shouts "tourist." Haha. I love it. He's so funny, I don't think I've ever seen him so happy.

Family Ties in Country Tyrone

Hello to the three of you who read this...

I felt like I should send an update, since most have no idea what's going on with me right now.

I'm in County Tyrone, finding and meeting my Irish family.

I've been learning a lot about the history of the Wilsons. In case you didn't know, the Wilsons imigrated to the US in like the 1880s. And my dad and my cousin found living relatives here. I spend a lot of time with my 4th cousins. They are just class.

Yesterday we met Woodrow Wilson, who is named after the US President. We went to the place where the US President Woodrow's family lived, and the living Woodrow told us beautiful stories about growing up there. Then we just met and talked about the past with a few other people. I love all of my family here. They are all so sweet, and they feed us way too well. Today we are going to our homestead, the farm where we started, and the American Folk Park so we can try and improve the family tree.

We're staying in this place called The Barn, and I have my own room. It's a beautiful view out my window, and I got to see the Irish sunset both days.

I've never drank so much tea and coffee. I'm pretty sure I'm dehydrated.

I'm really excited for tonight, we're having a family reunion with 40 of our Irish relatives. I get to meet them all!

Tomorrow my dad and I are going hiking, then Friday is Dublin, then Saturday is home. I can't wait. I miss my mama, or "mum" as they say here.

"Though the mountains may fall and the hills may fade. The faithful love of the Lord endures forever" --Isaiah 54:11

Leaving...

I never thought that I would grow so attached to Ireland and it's lovely people. But I have. As I leave Belfast today, forever traveling, I think of all that I'm leaving behind. Lakeside Manor, the lovely, cold, huge house that held all 15 of us. The place where many great quotes were said.

My families: the Agnew's and Mcfeeters and Wilson's.

I keep thinking of this quote, and it helps:

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each others own worth"--Robert Soutney

Well, off to the North Coast with my daddy!

There is a land

There is a land that I can go to

When I have time to rest.

All the people I love are there

And those who love me best.

-Marianne Faithfull, (opening to the song "Ireland")

Obsession::Claddagh Rings

We had to give an art presentation today on our visual experiences of Ireland. We went in alphabetical order, which is always bad news for me. So I was forced to sit through everyone else's fantastic presentations and compare my own to theirs, and completely lose all confidence I had in myself before I went up in front of the class. Why do we do that anyways--comparing ourselves to others is lame.

But, the point is, that it got me thinking about what one symbol I will remember Ireland by, and I decided it is the Claddagh ring.

If you have no idea what a Claddagh ring is, don't worry, because I looked it up on wikipedia just for you. The Claddagh ring a traditional Irish ring that has a two hands holding a heart with a crown on top. I think they are really strange looking, and the symbolism is the part that I like about them. (What an English major I am!)

The heart stands for love, the hands stand for friendship, and crown stands for loyalty. The expression "Let love and friendship reign forever" is connected to the ring. Most of them don't really have diamonds in the middle, but the picture I chose does-it was pretty. It's an example of a Claddagh ring that is used as an engagement ring. I don't know how I feel about that. If I were to wear a Claddagh ring as an engagement ring, I would wear this one:

Try not to pay attention to her weird knuckles...