Grandpa Jack

My little inspiration of the week this week comes from my Grandpa Jack. He is currently in rehabilitation after heart surgery at the Nebraska Heart Institute. I've been checking in on him several times this past week.

The other day we were sitting there watching 60 Minutes when he suddenly said "Rox?" I turned to him, thinking maybe he needed help with something or had a question, since his short-term memory isn't so good.

Instead he asked, "If you ever need anything extra up here at college, you'll let me know right?"

I smiled and said, "Yes of course."

He patted my hand and said, "Watch out for the other yay-hoos (he meant the other grandkids) too. You let me know if anyone needs anything." He then went back to watching the television.

And it struck me how lucky I am to have someone like that as a grandfather. After serious surgery and a week in rehabilitation which he hates, he's still looking out for the rest of his family before himself. He might grumble about wanting to go home, but he isn't feeling sorry for himself. He continues to smile and joke and ask about our lives.

I hope that even a little bit of Grandpa's compassion can rub off on me. I tend to be selfish and bossy but I really do love my family and friends despite my dominating personality. So that's what I'm taking away from this week. Even the smallest questions or comments can show you care. Don't let your own problems stand in the way of remembering the ones you love.

"A Hero Can Be Anyone."

So I'm starting a new blog. Starting anew with the new school year. My very close friend Moriah used to always encourage my blogging efforts. I tried to start but always felt like I didn't have time and no one would want to read my posts. Then Moriah suddenly passed away in April at only 20 years old. A few days before she passed away she was telling me how excited she was about her own quote blog. So now I am taking the time to sit down every week and write. No matter if anyone reads or not. I want to document the inspirations I find in day to day life, because life's too short not to appreciate the little things.

Just to introduce myself to anyone who doesn't know me, I am an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln studying Language Arts Education. I love books and movies and traveling. Anything that takes me away. And though it sounds strange to most, I love school. I never want to stop learning.

Though I wanted this blog to be here to share the magic, this week has been a little less than magical. My grandpa has been in the hospital having heart surgery, I watched the corruption of the Dark Knight Rises, and am reading Persepolis about Iranian revolution, learned about racism and hate in my Multicultural Education class, and last night my cousin died in a car crash. Terrible things happen every day. Every hour. Every minute. It doesn't make sense. But the world still turns.

And some beautiful things happened this week too. There is a little squirrel that lives outside my new apartment and sometimes he sleeps in the gutter. Every morning I look for him (or her I suppose) and I smile. Just the little things.

My squirrel

The Dark Knight Rises is one of the best movies I saw in a while.I love comic book movies, but I felt like this one showed a real hero. Batman could have walked away at any time but he risked everything. It wasn't only classic good vs. evil but fear vs. hope. This world scares me sometimes, especially this year, but hope is powerful and I choose to believe in that.

So, "A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended." I hope I can make a difference like that in one person's life as a teacher in the future. Reassurance. Love. Smiles. Hope. That's why the world keeps turning.