Life is like an onion, and sometimes you cry...

Cockles and Muscles. You know...Molly Malone style.

My pensive ocean look. Ha. 

Our view from our picnic. 

The northern most point of Ireland. County Donegal. 

Hello everyone-

Wow. Time is flying by here for me. I am 6 months into my year of service and I cannot believe it. It has taken me so long to understand just daily life here, I can't believe that it is half over. 

We as a team went to Donegal this week and it was wonderful. Enjoy the pictures above. It was so nice to just have some time outside, we got to see all kinds of beaches and even got to see the sun (a rare thing here). 

The trip however was a bit bitter sweet. While we were away we found that a new local friend of ours had passed away suddenly and without any warning. He was just 25 years old. Only a couple weeks before he died we had been in the same room drinking beer and laughing at the strangeness that is American football for the super bowl. This has affected all of us in different ways. Even though we had just met Chris, he was such a lovely person and so much fun to be around. I hate I did not get to know him better. 

Something like this makes you think. It makes you feel so very blessed to get another day to live. Sometimes I wonder why these things have to happen, but like my roommate said, we don't know why he died, but we know why he lived. 

Even though it was a hard week, it was one of realizations. We always say that we are living each day like it is our last. This week has reminded me that I am so very lucky to be able to live. That is just what I am going to do...live. 

Blessings and love to you all-

Melissa 

None is freer than the one who needs little to be happy. - Nathan Stone

Hello to all of you-

The title of my blog says it all really. I really need not expound on that thought, but since all of you are so good to keep up with me, I will try to do my best to summarize my thoughts and feelings these days.

The more I learn about this society that I am living in, the deeper I get into the issues at hand. It is only natural that it takes a while to start to put the puzzle pieces together to make them fit. The same thing here, it has taken me these almost 5 and a half months to gather enough information to make sense out of this complicated battle. Some people here seem to not be in the least affected, others still are dealing with not going out of their house in fear of being blown up or shot. Others have had the worst of the worst happen to them and still seem to get by, doing what they can, with quite strength and grace.

I had to write an essay for a masters program that I am applying for recently and one of the questions was what social issue would you change if you could, and how would you go about doing that? With such a vast question I found myself sitting in front of my computer completely blank at times thinking...what can we do? Then something hit me the other day as I was walking to work. You just do. Simply that, do what you can. The world is not going to change overnight. N. Ireland is not going to wake up tomorrow and decide that there are not hurt feelings anymore, that there is no difference anymore. It is so hard to think about what a happy medium between respecting difference and also wanting there to be no division in this world. We live in a world of difference, labels, Black, White, Gay, straight, right, and wrong. The fact is that it is OK to accept that we can be both right and be wrong in our lives. No one is perfect. No one way will work for everyone. We have got to find a way to live in peace with ourselves and then, maybe then, we can live in peace with one another.

I see division in the most stunning and real ways here in Belfast. They may be in the form of peace walls and flags flying high, but that division is everywhere in this world. It may not be so visual, but it is there. I personally am learning to love myself, hopefully I then can love the people on this earth as much as I should, no division needed.

None is freer than the one who needs little to be happy.

Peace and blessings friends-

Melissa