Fat Girl with a Degree

Receiving my Diploma!

Ay ay ay! Obviously, I’ve fallen off the blog-wagon because I just today stumbled my way back over here after a long last quarter in school and saw Jamie’s lovely post in tribute to me. That was too sweet, Jamie. Thank you so much!

So, I guess it’s not going to come as too much of a shock when I say that I’m now a fat girl with an undergrad degree! I hope this will justify many of my long absences from the blog. I can sincerely hope that I will update more, but I won’t make any promises, since I tend to get deepy engrossed in things going on in real life. I’m about to move to Chicago for the summer, and we’ll see how that goes! I have an internship with PBS! Woo!

Anyway, I’m a fat grad, and also a 22-year-old fattie. My birthday was the same day as my graduation. It was quite exciting. And, in case you’re wondering, it was just a beautiful and wonderful weekend. I had the honor of giving the Baccalaureate address the night before, and to top everything off, won two awards in creative writing at the Senior Awards Ceremony. (Pretty good for a non-English major, eh?) My family came to stay for the weekend, and that just made it so much better.

Of course, like everything in life, the build up to the end has resulted in me feeling somewhat bereft now that it’s over. But hopefully I’ll get my life in order. I have faith in myself and my abilities.

So, to end, I want to thank all of you for supporting me and reading this blog. I know we’ve gone through some times of radio silence, and I appreciate you all sticking around. Here’s to better blogging and a bright and shiny future!

A Tribute

I would like to make a toast, to a spectacular, special, splendid young woman.

Chrissy has been my best friend since the 6th grade. As of this year, that’s half our lives. In a few short days, Chrissy will be graduating from college with a degree and a passion. (As so often happens, the degree and the passion are in two different subjects. ^_~) In the 11 years since I’ve known her, Chrissy has managed to change and grow while still ultimately remaining the same wonderful girl I fell in love with. I won’t presume to tell you about how she has changed inside – I’m no mind-reader. But I can tell you that for 11 years she has inspired me to be a kinder and more compassionate person (though I’m sad to say I often ignored that inspiration).

Chrissy is going places. I’m completely awed by her mad videography skills. I’d lay odds on watching her documentaries on television someday. I am so proud to know this woman! When I see her face after one of our long separations, I know instantly that I am in the company of someone amazing. I’m not sure how one human being can be so full of exuberance and drive, but Chrissy manages it, with aplomb and dignity.

I probably won’t be able to attend her graduation ceremony, due to uncontrollable circumstances in my own life. But I will be there in my heart, watching a visionary, an activist, my best friend as she takes her first steps into the rest of her life.

To Chrissy! *clinks glass*

P.S. Happy Birthday, too!