Acronyms

I know that when anyone is creating something that will be named by an acronym, they pay special attention to what it spells. Case in point: the government. They always name things with an acronym to further their point, like the USA PATRIOT Act. So, today I'm reading the paper, and it makes reference to the Goverment Records Access Management Act. Uh, is that GRAMA? Who planned that one??

Love?

What's the difference between love and being in love? I had someone tell me that she loved someone but didn't know if she was in love with him. Then I wondered: what's the difference? Is there a difference? There's platonic love, and brotherly love, but as far as romantic love is concerned, is there a difference between love and in love? In my logical frame of thinking, I would say that the difference is that if you're "in love," both people feel the same way. I think that the language of it implies that there is a mutual feeling, a symbiotic sort of something. Clearly, as the love expert, I'm going to say that's the difference, at least from a logical point of view.

So what's the deal with that? Can you be in love with someone who doesn't love you back? Can you have romantic love feelings for someone and not be "in love" with them?

There's a song that says "the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return," and I think that's probably true. So is it harder to love or be loved? I find it pretty easy to love people, and maybe harder to be loved. But is that because I don't want to be loved or because no one loves me?

It's so hard to be scientific and examine situations like this when you don't have the proper variables. It's totally impeding my research.

Tired

Did you ever feel like nothing you do can make a difference? Like the situation you are in is the only way things can ever be? This, of course, is the kind of thinking that just breeds on itself and keeps you from getting anywhere.

But I've been wondering lately: what if this is as good as it gets? Can I be satistfied with things as they are? Can I be content to live my life as it is?

Trying to make a change is difficult. I know that I should be more social, but when I get home from work and school and finish my assignments and studying, I'm tired! I'm exhausted. I could use a nap. I've been telling people "good night" all day. Is it night? That's a negative. It is definitely day. Still. On and on and on...eyes half closed.

How long can you burn the candle at both ends? How long can a person survive trying to do everything and please everyone? And what happens when you can even do all the things you want to do, let alone the things that people want you to do? You end up just doing the bare minimum, the daily requirements of work and education. I'm exhaused, and I'm spinning my wheels getting no where. If only I had the energy to come up with something fun to do this weekend. But, as always, nothing sounds as fabulous as sleep.

Why is that the highlight of my life?

Love Day

Today is the official day of love. If only more things had an official day to celebrate them. I can see an official day to celebrate ice cream. Really good ice cream. A day to celebrate French pastries.

But since it's the day to celebrate love, let me just wish everyone a day full of love and wonderful things. Sometimes, love doesn't come the way we think it will, but we take what we can get. The only cure for love is to love more. I'm so lucky to have a beautiful family to love me.

The Letdown

Do you ever imagine something so wonderful, so perfect that the anticipation of the thing nearly kills you? So often, the thing turns out to be not nearly as wonderful as you imagined. You feel let down.

However, occasionally, the thing really lives up to all you imagined. This week, I'm suffering from a new kind of let down. I had a wonderful, marvelous, glorious vacation last week. I spent the week in total relaxation, talking and laughing with my sister, playing with my nephews, and doing a lot of baby snuggling. It was a perfect week. Now, I have a post-vacation let down. My vacation was everything I wanted it to be. This week, I'm back at work, and while there's nothing wrong with work, I can't help but ache for my sister and her boys back in Michigan. I keep looking at airline tickets out of habit, but then I remember that I can't go again any time soon, and then if she moves, there's no telling when it'll work for both our schedules for me to go back.

I left a piece of my heart in Michigan. Granted, it's a frozen piece because it's just 2 degrees there, but it's a piece of my heart nonetheless, and I feel incomplete without them. There is something so wonderful about just being with people who you love and who love you back. That's total joy.