"i've been trying to slow it down, i've been trying to take it in, in this here today gone tomorrow world we're living in."

So i'm back from 2 weeks of vacationing! It was perfect and i feel better than ever :) I went to Tybee Island, GA then to Atlanta to visit my great aunt and uncle. I met my little cousins Mia and Gigi for the first time since they live in California... thats pretty far haha. But i've learned a lot from them, even though Mia is only 3 and Gigi is 4. Though they may not know it, they've taught me a life lesson i will never forget.

To be honest, i never thought little kids could teach you much. I walked down to the basement where they were playing wii and i introduced myself. They were shy, and at that moment i didn't think i would form that big of a bond with them, but boy was i wrong. I sat down at their little table used for coloring and began to draw a picture. Sure enough, the girls got a little curious and asked me if i was a good artist. I said that i was ok and Gigi asked "Can you draw a mermaid?". "I can try." i answered. So i did. They loved it. Everyday they wanted to draw mermaids and sea creatures haha.

The rest of the week went on and we spent everyday together. We went rafting down the Chattahoochee River, and we went to a museum all about the civil war in Georgia. We became very close and it kind of made me wish i had a little sister instead of three brothers :P I did however become extra close to the younger one, Mia. She was always happy and bouncing around, wanting to do something. She was a hoot and i loved it. When the end of the week came and we had to say our goodbyes, i was absolutely dreading it. I hugged everyone and saw Mia standing off to the side away from everyone, probably wandering what was going on. I knelt down and opened my arms for a hug. She ran into them and i picked her up. Then, she looked at me and said something i will not soon forget; "i love you, I'll miss you". I just smiled and thought "what do i say? should i say i love you back? How can a 3 year old say and i can't?". Then i finally said "I'll miss you too". Why couldn't i say i love you back to her?

Now, I'm sure you're thinking 3 year olds aren't that smart and they don't know the meaning of love. But they're not stupid. They know what they want, what they don't want. What they like and dislike. She knew she loved me, and it was sincere when she said it. The point that I'm trying to get to is that we should learn from Mia. She says what she feels without a second thought, unlike most of us. As we get older, we claim to get "wiser" but we also get colder and more shielded... time is funny the way it works.

I really do wish i would have said i love you back to Mia, because even after that one week, i really did create a special bond with her. Come to think of it, i wish i would have done a lot of things. I wish i would be nicer to my mom sometimes. I wish i would tell my dad how much he means to me, even though I'm growing up and may not show it all the time. I wish me and my oldest brother could be closer instead of being in different cities. I wish i laughed more. I wish i cried more. I wish i could let my guard down, do something new, and i will. I'll take what Mia has taught me; let yourself love and be loved. There's not enough time in life to hold back. As Kenny Chesney once put it, "when your hour glass runs out of sand you can't flip it over and start again so take every breath God gave you for what it's worth... 100 years goes faster than you think, so don't blink".

Thanks,
DNR.