LiveLaughLo

This week in my class I was reflecting on my experience in my cooperating teachers classroom. I thought about how I found myself day dreaming in the middle of my lesson, hoping one day someone would think of how good of a teacher I was, just as I was doing right then. It brought me back to the beginning of the year when I first walked into her classroom and immediately judged her. Her walls were bare, and the room was messy. She had no desk or formal place to call her own. I couldn’t believe she would want her room to look like that. Then I thought about today, and as I looked around the class I could see how much fun the students were having and how engaged they were. They didn’t care about the classroom or if their teacher had decorations around, they just truly enjoyed the lesson. This is when I realized that it’s not about presentation that makes you a good teacher, it’s about how you teach and how passionate you are. If you truly care about education and the knowledge of your stu...

This week I bought a new self help book titled "Soul Catcher". It was recommended to me by a friend who thought I would benefit from it. At first I didn't really see the point in this book, but once I started to read it and participate in the activities I really began to see a difference in my life. This book really reminded me all that I have to be thankful for and how to always look for the positive side in things. That self love is one of the most important things to have, and that only when you have a full and happy heart then can you begin to spread love throughout the world.

During my first year of college I signed up to be a donor for BeTheMatch. At the time, I only did it for a free t-shirt and the assurance that my name probably wouldn't be called. I really didn't think about what I would do if I really was a match. Fast forward two years later during my senior year, I got a call that I am match for a child with Leukemia... When I first answered the phone I was surprised. Surprised that I really was a match after all. In the beginning I was scared, didn't know what to do, or if I should still say yes? I was only a freshman at the time when I signed up, and it was partly to get the free shirt that they were giving out. I never thought that I would ever be a serious candidate. Then, I thought about the feelings that were going through my mind, and how that little child I matched with was having those same thoughts every day of their life. It clicked in my head that I could probably save their life. And that's when it really hit me. There...

Last week during my internship, my cooperating teacher asked me to teach for the very first time. I was completely taken by surprise. I had never taught alone before, and this was my first time ever being in a 5th grade classroom. I was overwhelmed, nervous, and a little bit panicky. My cooperating teacher gave me the lesson plan and stepped aside so that I could teach the class. It was only a quick 30 minute lesson, but boy did it feel like forever. When it was all said and done, my teacher told me I had actually done pretty well. She said that it takes time to learn what I am doing and nobody is good at something the first time they try it. Even the best teachers had a first day. At first I was a little bit angry that my teaching just threw me into the water without any warning at all. Then, I realized what a blessing it actually was. During the rest of my teaching career I will faced with many unexpected challenges and situations and teaching a class unexpectedly is probably going...

Last Friday I decided to treat myself to a well deserved manicure. I don't normally get my nails done in San Marcos, so I decided to try a place that was completely new to me. Like any woman knows, the nail salon is one of the best places to get to know someone completely knew. There's just something about pampering yourself that really brings people together.  During all of my manicures, I really like to get to know my nail technician. This appointment was no different. As I started to talk to her, I realized she was very different than any other nail technician I had previously had. She was MY age... Now this wasn't the overly shocking part. She was not only a nail technician, but she was also in college studying to be a nurse. She continued to tell me that she was born in Vietnam and her family applied to move to the United States when she was in the third grade. She did not get approved to come over here until she was 21.... (she is now 25). It blew my mind that for ...

This semester is one of my busiest that I have ever had. Between preparing to graduate and finishing off the last of my classes, my stress level has gone through the roof. It wasn't until today that I realized all of the blessing that I have missed out on because I was was worried on what still needed to be done. This made me think that this is how I have been going through life. Pushing through to the next thing one after another, never really taking time to live in the moment and appreciate all that I have been given and accomplished. I took the day to relax, rather than doing any of the work I needed to. Yes, I was behind, but it was worth it. Without doing so, I would have missed out on all of the pieces that make working so hard worth it. Sometimes in life, we all need to step back and smell the roses that have been planted in our lives. XoXo - Lo

My evening began just as any other. When I got home from class I was startled to find that my electricity in my room had gone out. This was just what I needed after an exhausting day. Annoyed, I called the maintenance just wanting everything to be fixed so I could continue on with my day. When the maintenance man showed up I wasn't overly enthusiastic to see him. He began working on the apartment and soon after he began to make small talk. At first I wasn't really into it, but soon I began to ease up. Before I knew it, we had a full blown conversation going about our lives. After he fixed what he needed to and left, I realized how he had completely transformed. All it took was a complete stranger to lift my mood. It was then that I understood that life isn't about the things that you do, but the people that you have around you. It is about building relationships and having a genuine conversation with a complete stranger, not because you have to but because you want to. What...