A Happy Mid-Week Report

This has been a big, exciting week!
A few noteworthy events:

I got a job as a server @ Taco Mamacita
I quit Borders
I unofficially adopted a kitten (he's waiting for me in Knoxville)
I got to see Beach House at Mercy Lounge

I am overjoyed about my new kitten. His name is Fiero, and he's a beautiful black stray, with white paws and a white stripe down his face. My dear, dear friend Lisa is watching over him until I can come to Knoxville next weekend to pick him up. Her daughter, Ashley, is working for a wild animal rescue company, and they found this litter of strays. Lisa promised to hold onto the little boy kitten for me. She says he is super loving, friendly, cuddly, and sociable. She sent me a few pictures of him, and I can't stop looking at him. I cannot wait to go to Knoxville and pick up my new baby. =) And, I also can't wait to get to spend time with my darling Lisa.


Another reason to be excited about going home.... getting to see my two favorite people- Mom & Dad. I absolutely adore my parents. I am so grateful for the things they do for me, and I love spending time with them. This semester I haven't gotten to spend as much time with them as I would've liked, and I am beyond thrilled to go spend the weekend with them.


The occasion for my return to East TN is my friend Brandon's wedding! I love weddings and am very excited to see an old friend get married. =)

Needless to say, I really really really want next week to go by as quickly as possible. I've never been quite this excited to go home. I'm bringing my grandma home with me, too..... what a fun 2 hour car ride it's going to be! And Saturday is going to be girls' day: manicures with mom & grandma. I've never had a manicure, and I can't think of two women with whom I'd rather get one. I know manicures are super cliche girly, but I'm actually really excited.

I am having a happy week, and I am very thankful for that. I'm trying to do a lot of reflecting as the semester comes to a close. It has been a difficult semester for many reasons, but I have grown SO much. I think it will take more than one blog post to write about how I've grown.

I often have a hard time saying this to myself, but: I'm proud of myself.

Fiero says hi!

??

HOW IS MY HAIR THIS CURLY?!?!?

I need answers.

2 YEARS AGO:

NOW:


Someone, tell me how it is humanly possible for my hair to go from THAT to THIS... in 2 years.

Today is a great day!

Today is my beautiful best friend Stephanie's 21st birthday! =)
She has been such a huge part of my life the past couple of years, and I love her tremendously. Yesterday she found out that she's been accepted into a study abroad program for next semester in TANZANIA!!! I'm so proud of her, but will miss her so very much. I love you, best friend.

Today is also my first full day of having a tattoo. Yesterday I went to Blackbird Tattoo & Gallery to get my first ever tattoo by the talented Thu Le. I'm so in love with it! It's "I hope" in my grandpop's handwriting from a letter he wrote to my grandma in 1950 before they were married.

Happy April 13th, everyone! =)

John Broadus Sessoms Jr. - Obituary

This is my grandpop's obituary. My mom & I worked on writing it a couple of weeks ago. I think it turned out nicely:

John B. Sessoms Jr., age 87, of Murfreesboro, passed away Wednesday April 7th, 2010 at Alive Hospice at Saint Thomas Hospital.

He was born March 6, 1923 in Nashville, Tennessee to the late John B. Sessoms Sr. and Adeline Lackey Sessoms. Survived by devoted wife, Enith Gibson Sessoms; son, David Gibson Sessoms and wife Sandy of Hendersonville; daughter, Mary Sessoms Stone and husband Bill of Knoxville; son, John Mark Sessoms and wife Julia of New Orleans; sisters, Eska Garrison and Joyce Tallent; brother Henry Sessoms; grandchildren, Landon and wife Alice Sessoms, Johnny Sessoms, Sarah Stone, Angela Sessoms, Rebecca Stone, Natalie Sessoms, Caroline Sessoms, Patrick Evans, Mary Evans; and other devoted family and friends.

“Brother John” graduated from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and served as a Methodist Pastor in the Tennessee Conference for over 45 years, most recently at First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro. He also pastored churches in Clarksville, Nashville, and McMinnville, Tennessee. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marines and served in the Pacific during WWII.

The funeral service for Brother John will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 10, 2010 at First United Methodist Church with Jacob Armstrong and Miriam Seyler officiating. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery with family and friends serving as pallbearers.

Visitation with the family will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 2010 at Jennings & Ayers Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 265 W. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro, TN. 37129.

Arrangements handled by Jennings and Ayers; 820 South Church St. Murfreesboro, TN 37130. 615-893-2422 www.jenningsandayers.com

What a week

This week has likely been one of the most emotionally & physically exhausting weeks of my life.

We have been working our asses off to get ready for BU Dance Company's "Mixed Bill IV: Once More, With Feeling". This means late nights at the theater (usually till 11 or midnight) and long days of class or more rehearsal. I absolutely love it, but it is definitely draining. Our director, Debbie Belue, has taught me so much about having purpose when I dance. I feel driven to give the performance of my life because it simply isn't about me; I dance for the story I am telling. It's a lot more meaningful when it is no longer about me, anyways.

Tonight is opening night! I am extremely excited, but also extremely nervous.

While tech week has been exhausting, the more trying part of the week came with news of my grandpop's death on Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Grandpop died in hospice care at St Thomas Hospital. I know he was in good hands, but I wish I had been their to hold his as he left this life.

The last 3 weeks of my grandpop's life, since we learned of his heart failure, have been some of the most meaningful for me. I feel as though we created this deep, impenetrable bond through our time together, but I wish that we had more time to spend now. It is so bittersweet to have bonded so deeply together through death. I have learned a lot about John Sessoms in these last few weeks, and I feel like I have in turn learned about myself. I know my roots a little bit better now. I am proud to have John Sessoms' blood in my veins.

Tomorrow is the funeral, my first ever. I don't know how that will go. I'm unsure of how it will feel to know that his body is on the other side of a piece of wood, yet he isn't there to hug me and tell me how beautiful and grown up I am. I want to hear him say just one more dinner-time prayer, the kind that lasts almost five minutes and causes a lot of hand-squeezing and hushed giggles from the grandkids. I want to hear him and grandma get in one of their cute 50-years-of-marriage spats. I want to squeeze his wrinkled, soft hand. I want to see his precious track suits and his crooked nose. I want to hear his voice raise as he gets excited or revved up. I want to tell him how much I love him just one more time.

John Sessoms was a good man. (It's really hard to use the past tense.)
I'd even say he was a great man.
I feel so blessed to have had him in my life. And I'm looking forward to nurturing my relationship with my grandmother. I bet that's what he wants more than anything right now, is for someone to take care of his bride & keep her company. Shoot, he loved that woman with a fiery passion that I hope I can keep burning through 60 years of marriage.

John Sessoms knew love in a way most people just can't. He experienced love. He emoted love. He taught me so much of love.

We already miss you hugely, Grandpop.