Or relearned or will always be..
- This is MY guy and he supports and loves me in every way possible and works incredibly hard to provide us all with SO MANY grand adventures – especially in 2016 – and I don’t think there are any english words to adequately describe how I love him – maybe celestially? (photo cred: Roma)
2. Every single moral, emotional and abstract thought or behavior affects each individual physically. There is no teasing apart the body and soul. (Aristotle) Only 5% of all of my genes are determined – the other 95% are either turned on or turned off by my choices. (Recent work in phenotypic plasticity). There is nothing neutral – Every single individual is either progressing towards a more heavenly creature or more devilish (CS Lewis). I believe this 100%.
Here’s a thought experiment I learned this year:
If you can picture what the “resurrected perfect you” would do, be, say, love and know – call him/her your “fill in the blank – Your name+” – For example I think “What would Kristin+ do, be, say, love and know?” (even though I have a strong resistance to speaking in 3rd person) and ask in any given dilemma – I would be progressing in the right direction.
It’s like a “what would Jesus do?” only much more catered to your unique phenotype, personality and soul.
3. Sometimes when I have something truly sentimental – like a 28 year old Christmas tree angel topper that I bought the first year we were married for $100 ( a huge expense to me) but has always been really difficult to put up there because it doesn’t stay well and always tips and has turned incredibly yellow – I just need to snap a photo of it, post it on my blog, remember it fondly and then give it away. And that goes for a lot of stuff!!
4. TT is B’s twin – just let his hair get a little longer..
5. I am grateful that my friends think of me as “the aorta” – especially when last semester taking a heavier class load virtually swallowed me up and then spit me out for a bit. (I know I already used this photo in a blog but it’s appropriate). 
6. 2017 has waaaay too many uncertainties about it! I don’t like uncertainty. I like planning ahead. I like knowing what to expect. I like having theories proven correctly or incorrectly. Moreover, I know there can be beauty in uncertainty and I know that living in the moment alleviates uncertainty. I know “Kristin+” embraces uncertainty due to this knowledge…and so I am on this uncertainty roller coaster (whether I like it or not) armed with faith and I will deal with it if I pass out, throw up, get turned upside down, experience the butterflies and thrill of it and turn on slow motion to the amazing views as they go by. And I will graduate on May 4th in the middle of all of it, having learned in the past five years a lot of critical thinking skills for dealing with this roller coaster (as well as my love of GOOD metaphors).
7. And I learned to snap more photos of quotes that resonate
The number 7 is my lucky number this year….