I survived.  I’ve made it through my first semester at JHU.  I feel drained of energy, and am waiting to be filled back up again.

I can fill up by looking at birds flirt with each other.  Sometimes they look so violent, like they’re trying to peck out each other’s fur-feathers.  But love can make you do crazy things…I suppose…so they say.  I don’t know what it is about birds, but I love their plump little bodies, the way they hop-hop-hop around like they’re children who never grow up.

And words can fill me up…beautiful words that make the world much more tender than it actually is. 

So, I’ve decided to attend some meditation classes during the next month before Summer Sessions begin.  So I can learn how to fill back up on my own energy while appreciating the small things I’ve always appreciated, and perhaps, discover more small things to be grateful for. 

For right now, I’m treading the cool water before I start paddling again.