A Little Lesson

This last week has been somewhat of a crazy one.. It all started with having to get my car fixed yet again. The third time in a month. 

Despite car trouble, school, and work, there is one thing that I have learned to be extremely grateful for and that is the gift to breathe. It's something we do constantly without any thought. Our lungs intake the oxygen and we exhale the carbon dioxide. Oxygen is a main component that fuels our bodies.  Without it we wouldn't be able to produce the energy that keeps our muscles going. Please see image below. :D

This is a simplistic example of how oxygen is converted into energy for our body to use. 

Now that we have that covered, why would I be so grateful for the simple act of breathing?? Well...

On Friday I went home to be with my family. We were going to the state championship football game and then were heading up to Idaho Falls to see my sister. 

When I got home, my mother seemed to be missing but I didn't think too much of it. A few minutes later she finally walked through the door. She had swollen eyes and seemed distressed. I knew something was wrong. 

She looked at me and my siblings and told us that one of our cousins had passed away. It was a complete shock. My heart dropped and I felt sick. She was only 24 years old and was married. I wondered how her husband was handling the situation. I could see the love in my mothers eyes. I felt blest to be standing there with my family, all of us being well and alive. 

Then came Saturday night, I get a text from my dear friend Kelsey that said she and Brain had been in a car accident. I would have left work that instant if she hadn't added that they were fine but danger ranger (Brian's truck) had sadly been defeated. It felt like a little bit of an overload at that moment. I lost a cousin and could have lost a best friend within two days.

I'm grateful Kelsey and Brian made it through with only a few scratches and a couple headaches, but nothing more. An angel was on their shoulders. 


Something as simple as breathing is essential and a precious gift. Glad that my friends are still here with me and bless my cousin and her family that all will be well. 

Love them :)  (Jace looks a little uncomfortable haha!)

What Lies Ahead

Lately I've been contemplating what I want to do with my life. Do I really want to stay in the field of study where I currently am or do I want do a 360 and go in an opposite direction? If I stay where I am then I only have about a year and a half of school left. If I go into the other desired field, pharmacy, then I would be starting from point one. I wish someone could see my future and just tell me what to do. 


Sometimes I get caught up in the here and now. I forget that I am in school to get an education so I can have a profession. I enjoy learning but what am I learning to do? 


These last couple of years, I have grown as a person tremendously. I now know what I want to do in the future and that only desire is to help people in need. Yeah, yeah everyone says that, but that really is my dream. I love to see someone's face light up after a simple deed that took hardly any effort. 
Don't tell me you have never had one of those days where all you wanted was a hug. Something as simple as a hug would have made your day. So what would someone's face look like if that deed was even bigger? Say build a house for someone, give a family the best Christmas they have ever received, or even just slip money in an envelop and send it anonymously.
Is there a degree for that? Sadly, no.


Is college getting me to where I want to be?


When I was little, those commercials of "Adopt a Child Today" would always come on. Their living conditions were horrible. They didn't have descent shoes or food. Then there I was with a glass of milk and most likely chocolate chips, enjoying an air conditioned home. Is it fair? Probably not. If I was placed in an environment like, I don't know if I could handle it. Therefore, they are probably stronger people than I am. They can handle it. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be helped. They may be stronger, but I have the resources. 
Ever since those commercials, those little children always seem to be on my mind. I don't want to just donate money, I want to be there first hand. That is my ultimate desire. I want to help the little children who have nothing. Put a smile on their faces. 


How do I put myself in that situation so I can do all that? Well, that is where my career would come into play. Yes my current field would help me get there. I would be able to make something happen but is that enough? Pharmacy is a field that is so well rounded that no matter what I did, it would be beneficially. I could provide more than food and shelter. I could incorporate medical needs. No I wouldn't be a doctor, but something close enough to provide the aid needed.


Now do I really want to go to 6 more years of school?? HECK NO. I just need a giant sign that says "Shayla, you are suppose to..." and have it finish with a field of study. It feels like my profession could be make it or break it. Even though that isn't close to the truth, as time is crunching down on me to make my choice, I can feel the heat.


Why does it have to be so hard? Why can't I just chose a career and know that it would help me with my future dream? Why do we go through difficult decisions in life? The answer is.... growth. You grow as a person. Still, I wish my life was mapped out. I'm a very basic girl and a map to happiness would be ideal. Take a left to meet a new lifelong friend, stop ahead to see a glimpse of your career, and tour the next city to meet the man of your dreams.
Where is the fun in all that though? You wouldn't be able to experience any of the lows in life to be able to enjoy the highs. The lows are what have made me who I am today. I've picked myself up and found what is truly important, not myself. Of course I want to be happy. Everyone does! and that is the key. Everyone wants to find joy in life, be lifted up on a bad day, have a friend who will catch them when they fall. So I've found that by being that person that catches someone else, I catch myself. When I put a smile on your face, I put a smile on my face. 


I still don't know where I will be in two years. I could still be in school working my little heart out to get a degree someday, or I could be settled and life could be moving at high speed. No matter what, someday I will see the light in those children's eyes. I will make someone's Christmas unforgettable. I hope to touch someone's heart. All that matters right now is.. As long as I have your hand, you will have mine. As long as I pick you up, you will drag me along with you. If you keep smiling, I will beam. That is all I have to remember. 


I know this is personal for only the second entry but it's just been on my mind.