150 years old

I think you can have more than one home... Last night I was eating at a little hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurant with my Chinese friends. When I walked in I felt transported back to Nanchang. It wasn't quite the same, especially because there was soap in the bathroom, but it was close. There were only other Chinese people there speaking in Chinese, it was extremely loud and crowded, there wasn't any heat, a little boy did his homework in the corner in front of a Chinese revolutionary drama playing on the TV, and there were roaches on the wall. We just ordered in Chinese whatever we wanted and then shared all the dishes. I felt like I had come home.

Then this morning I woke up and realized that it is Kansas Day! Every good Kansan knows that January 29th is our state's birthday. Although I haven't lived there for several years now, it is undoubtedly also my home, although it is just about as different from China as night and day.

I've always been proud of being a Kansan at the same time I've made fun of it. My home state is celebrating 150 years as a state today! That seems pretty old, but it's actually quite young, especially in the whole history of our country and the world. Here's a reflection on what makes Kansas so special/unique/strange:

-The best, bluest sky in the whole world.
-Crazy storms and tornadoes that come out of nowhere.
-Plentiful sunshine.
-Amazing, wide open spaces.
-Gorgeous prairies.
-Beautiful sunsets.
-Less than 3 million people in the entire state.
-Full of super hard-working, honest people.
-Farmers who feed us.
-An independent, pioneering spirit.
-Time seems to stand still.
-Fields full of sunflowers and wild sunflowers on the side of the road.
-It's the heartland of America.
-Low cost of living.
-Nobody cares about fashion.
-I was born there.
-No matter where I travel, I will forever hear "Wizard of Oz" jokes.

I'm thankful to have had many different homes--from Kansas to Virginia to China, and now Indiana--and today am proudest of being a Kansan. Happy 150th, Kansas!

Winter blues

If anyone were ever a poster-child for SAD (seasonal affective disorder) it would be me. I was born and raised on the wind-swept plains of middle America, but at least there was plentiful sunshine! The past several winters have been difficult, especially in China and Indiana where the sun seems to have fallen from the sky.

I try to stay occupied, exercise at the gym, and see friends as often as possible, but I still feel like I want to go crazy. I don't think I've even laughed in a full week. Okay, maybe more like a day, but that is strange. And I feel like I'm also surrounded by SAD people--at work, in classes, on the street... I singlehandedly feel like I'm offending/upsetting/saddening everyone I talk to or even look at. But then I realize it's probably not because of me, and I should try to encourage them.

It's just been a weird couple of weeks. The past many days have been filled with snow, some more snow, classes I'm not too enthusiastic about, difficult conversations with people, the realization that I'm a grown-up, and just not a whole lot of joy, to be honest.

I'm just thankful that the Father's love isn't dependent on the seasons or circumstances. Otherwise I would certainly be up a creek without a paddle. (I at first wrote, "up a paddle without a creek.") Hmmm... I should have taught my Chinese students that idiom. How would you explain it?