Feed the Flood

I think the better we know ourselves, the happier we can be and the better we can deal with the curve balls life throws us. This blog post is inspired by another's classmates blog in which she wrote 24 things about herself because she is about to turn 24. I to will be turning 24 fairly soon, so here is my list of 24 things: 1. I don't know how I would survive without music.  2. I have a major sweet tooth. 3. I love babies. 4. I love the smell of fresh cut grass. 5. I pride myself in being creative. 6. I served my mission in Nicaragua. 7. I'm number 5 of 7 children. 8. I have an adopted sister. 9. My parents are currently living in Thailand. 10. Christmas is my favorite holiday. 11. I worked at Walt Disney World this year. 12. I like dogs more than cats.  13. I started my own a cappella group.  14. I have a lazy eye. 15. I have never pierced my ears.  16. I hate cilantro.  17. I have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) 18....

I enjoyed this blogging experience. This is the first time I've ever done a blog and it was fun to choose things I'm interested in to write about. I can be rather opinionated so I enjoyed have the chance to share my opinion as well. I was actually kind of surprised that I got so much positive feedback via comments from my classmates. I wrote about some topics that some people would probably strongly disagree with (Black Friday, for example). I also learned that poetry can be a very effective form of rhetorical writing. I do think I should have planned out my time better in order to read and comment on other classmates' blogs over time rather than all in one day. I enjoyed reading people's blogs and seeing the wide range of topics covered. I'm not always a fan of writing. Sometimes it can be hard to get started, but once I do, it can actually be kind of therapeutic. It gives me a chance to express my thoughts and feelings. I think as I have written throughout thi...

When my sister, my parents, and I were on vacation in Nicaragua, we got the chance to go horseback riding and ziplining at a place that had 16 lines. I was a little nervous to go on a zipline in a third world country, fearing it might be unsafe, but this place was very professional and we felt very secure. We started off by riding horses up through the forest until we reached the first zipline. Other workers came to get the horses and we started on the ziplines. The ziplining guides were super friendly and even let my sister and I do a few tricks (with their help). I have never experienced anything more exhilarating than hanging upside-down and zipping over the trees, hundreds of feet above the ground! It was such a thrill! That evening the best part of the day happened. We were hanging out at the beach and my mom got word that one of the beachside resorts was releasing baby sea turtles into the ocean at 5pm. So at 5, we went over in front of the resort and joined the party that was re...

Kids these days have so many toys. My sister told me her kids have so many toys that they don't know which ones to play with so they sometimes don't play with any of them. Too many toys can be especially overwhelming for a toddler. If kids who are a little bit older get overwhelmed with their toys, however, they may beg to watch a movie or play on the ipad instead, and we all know too much of that can make kids hooked or obsessed. Perhaps parents get their kids so many toys because it's the first thing that comes to mind for birthday and Christmas gifts. But why not books instead? Or crafts? Or clothing? Maybe they start to build up too much clothing, too. So a better solution may be to give kids less gifts on birthdays and Christmas. I think back to when I was a kid and I got lots of gifts each birthday. But I also remember how ungrateful I was and how I threw a fit one year because I didn't think a tent was a nice enough gift for my "main gift". I think ...

Today is Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is Black Friday. What better time to express my opinion about Black Friday than today? Don't you find it strange that the day after Americans talk about how grateful they are for all they have, they go out shopping for more stuff? I find it rather ridiculous. Don't get me wrong; I understand people wanting to take advantage of a good deal on something they've been wanting to buy, but what I don't understand is people waiting in line for hours super early in the morning to get trampled by other shoppers in a rush to get one of a few on sale items. People have actually died in Black Friday stampedes! I can't believe people can get so aggressive competing for the chance to buy something (not even get something free) the day after Thanksgiving, or all days! It's madness. I don't see a problem with Cyber Monday. That you can comfortably do within the confines of your own home. I'm actually a big fan of online shopping becau...

The thesis statement in this article is clear: "The single most important thing that you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative." He backs up this claim with quotes from psychologists and findings from studies. He describes how learning about their families contributes to child's sense of belonging. "They know they belong to something bigger than themselves." I agree that having a sense of family narrative helps children maintain an enlarged perspective. The author writes, "When faced with a challenge, happy families, like happy people, just add a new chapter to their life story that shows them overcoming hardship." Everyone knows that a story without any conflict isn't very interesting. Looking at their life as a story helps children to see the beauty in the hard times and to look at the bigger picture. I also agree that having a family mission statement is good because it gives the family a clearer ...