Getting back into the habit of writing and storytelling has meant slowing down the fast pace I usually abide by and trying to notice more. I love listening to music when I'm driving the 35 minutes to and from the hospital, but I started turning off the radio and listening to the silence as I watch the world rush by in blurred colors. I create a space in my thoughts for new ideas, and as they appear in my head, I remember key words that I can later write down.
I've also been trying to find a balance between taking photographs to hone my skills and realizing when I need to put the camera down to enjoy the moment. Somewhere in between, I am able to take the best photographs. It happens as I hang in the balance between mindfulness of preserving a moment and capturing the essence of my subject.
I'd like to introduce two of my dearest friends, two people who I have high respect for and who have seen the worst of me and loved me anyway.
Audra: I met Audra in my freshman year of high school, and I remember thinking how composed and kind she was. I, being the new kid in the class, was much more reserved and quiet than I am now, and I appreciated Audra's warmth of heart to make me comfortable as well as her warm chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin bread she brought as an after-school treat for my class. Even when I left the program the next year and we attended different schools, our friendship continued to grow. We have always been very honest and open with each other, and sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself. She has a tremendous heart for people, is beautifully independent, speaks her mind, and is a creative and bright person. 
Klara:
Klara was an acquaintance I met many years ago who turned into a best friend when I randomly called her one summer afternoon when we were 13 or 14 years old. We played a game of Monopoly (yes, a whole game) and baked cookies and that was the start of an amazingly fun, quirky, meaningful friendship. Klara and I have always been close friends, but we really got to know each other on a deeper level when we started college in two different cities. We were growing and changing so much as people and becoming more honest with ourselves, and as we shared with each other our goals and fears and faith, she has been such an encouragement and example to me. She reminds me to be goal driven but also people-focused. Our conversations are sometimes outright hilarious and silly, and other times we talk about raw, difficult issues that challenge us to make a difference in this world we live in. Klara is a teacher and inspiration, and whenever I need a reminder of why this fight is worth it, we talk and she reminds me of truth.
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