It's one of life's guilty little (expensive) pleasures. I was first introduced to it in Alabama, where my boyfriend's uncle had just purchased one. At first we didn't understand the hype about it. My boyfriend still doesn't understand the hype about it, but then again he just isn't one to drink hot beverages (well, so far. Lets see how long he makes it in South Dakota later on this month without changing his ways!). However, my friend bought one last week, and... well... let me put it this way: she bought about four different drink singles packages, and... we need to replenish our stores.In our defense, we are still reconciling ourselves to the fact that we are now adults, and there just aren't that many toys out there that are inexpensive and edifying. A keurig is... well, neither cheap nor healthy, but its cheapER and healthyER. And its just fun. You get the thrill of a little child playing with the simple toys at the science museum, but if anyone asks what you are doing, you have a mature, reasonable answer: I'm simply making myself a cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate/chai.
Not just because of the Keurig (although it definitely helped) but for other amazing, valid reasons as well, this friend gets the award for the best friend of the month. She's been helpful, cheerful, welcoming, entertaining, and just plain awesome. She's been one of the few peers who hasn't either grilled my boyfriend on his stance on Calvinism or some other bastion of our school OR plotted a way to get him to start attending Seminary. She has made absolutely NO disparaging comments or minded us being a couple with normal ups and downs; in fact, she's welcomed him with open arms, plopped him down on her couch and introduced him to the world of "Independence Day' and "The Big Bang Theory' TV series.(side note:I don't need all my friends to like my boyfriend, and if they have valid reasons for not liking him then I'll listen with open ears, heart and mind. But if the main reason he's off the list is simply because he doesn't go to my school or church and may not conform to all of the nuances the collective student body has determined 'correct' or 'correct-er' then please save it for someone who cares. Plus, all of my older friends, such as professors or mentor-figures in my life love him. Its just the younger people who are acting quirky)
Anyway back to my friend. The dear girl has been going through a rather hard time, so its been a great balance of us being there for each other the last few months. The awesome thing is she doesn't gripe for the sake of griping; she takes in feedback and implements it! She's trying to get more disciplined and organized in life. While I think I'm the last - or next to last - person one could ask to help out in THOSE areas, she's taken what I've had to offer and its been so encouraging. She got back from Thanksgiving break and I personally thought she looked more fit and slimmer so I said so. People, you have NO idea the power of an encouraging word. She keeps mentioning it, blogged about it, and used it to help her stay on track on her new weight loss routine. Gee whiz, a simple compliment and she's been floating for days! That was so encouraging to ME, because I've felt really discouraged with one or two really important people in my life recently; just not knowing how on earth to encourage. The one because encouragement seems to slide of their back like water on a ducks back. The other because it seems as though they want validation through me doing what they want the way they want when they want and if I don't then I'm not taken seriously. I've wanted to just throw in the towel but have been convicted recently of ways that I can do better on things personally, and... I don't know. We'll see how things turn out.
Alright well I need to go make myself presentable. The Seminary has its graduation today and a few good friends are graduating and then off to start amazing ministries and make names for themselves that will go down in the annals of Christian Great Minds ;-) I'm bad; I'm waiting until the actual ceremony is over, then I'm going to arrive when everyone is taking pictures outside and laughing and glad its over. Sorry, but there's just not enough room in the chapel, and I just don't want to sit through all the pomp and ceremony. ;-) Cheerio.
