The Dog Days are Over

Time passes. People change. Those people's girlfriends become exes. That ex-girlfriend feels like a knife was shoved through her chest. For months, the girl cries and wonders when he'll come back to her.
And then one day, she's fed up. She's done sitting, waiting, wishing on shooting stars, eyelashes, and 11:11. She grows up and she sizes up the situation with a brand new sense of practicality.
Story of my past four months.
But these past two weeks? You're really gonna want to hear this one.

I've started hanging out with this incredible group of friends. I can't give myself credit for that one, because they found me. We make play-doh, we sing, we help each other with homework, we play dress up, we watch Alice in Wonderland, we make Sim families, we act, we make scripts for musicals, we joke...this is the kind of silly daily stuff I look forward to & I couldn't have asked for anything better to help pull me OUT of my pain.
Along with that, I am seeing this incredible person called Jesus everywhere I go. He's moving the chess pieces, keeping me from damaging myself, introducing me to new joys--joy in friendship, joy in schoolwork, joy in His Word, joy in family. I've never trusted so much in my life.
I'm seeing my future much clearer. Nothing is definite, but at least I have an ever-shifting plan. I'm thinking and talking college, career, and travel. Has there ever been anything so exciting as knowing that my liberation is just around the corner? I don't know how that could be topped!
Oh..and there's this boy. I know, I know...there always is. But this one is worth mentioning, I swear. He's got the checklist, the complete checklist: funny, musical, Christian, spontaneous, so smart, hardworking...but there's so much more that I'm discovering about him that I adore. He challenges me intellectually. He runs! He is taking it really slow, getting to know me. He's funny, but when you bring up beliefs, he doesn't joke. He has his future all mapped out and marked by math and science. He's the type of guy that my father would easily hand-pick for me! Oh, I can just hear it..."Shut up, you've said enough!" I'm promise I'm done. For now.

The bottom line is, I'm not just getting by anymore. I'm living! My days are brightened by the sunshine of friends, family, Jesus, and yes...a silly boy. But I'm a silly girl with lots of life yet to live. Might as well be young and free.
The dog days are over.