Vixen Proud

I have done goodbyes before BUT this one is going to be the HARDEST that I have EVER had to do. I know, after years of being a military brat, goodbyes are a part of life and they DO NOT get any easier BUT this one breaks my heart. I will NOT give up hope BUT with the announcement coming when and how it did I can’t help but be—–

Utterly Devastated! That is what I am right now!

That was my exact response to a friend when asked how I felt 28 hours after I learned that my alma mater, Sweet Briar College, the Pink Bubble is closing it’s doors 5 months and 22 (now 20) days from now—August 25, 2015! We will have one last graduated class, Class of 2015! In the span of a few hours, their world…my world…..our world was rocked! Students were gathered in the Auditorium at 12:45; an email was sent to Alum at 12:56; I read the email from the college as well a text from my mom along with one from a classmate at 16:30—My world was changed!

I continued my response to my friend with:

I have been crying on and off for the last 24 hours. I am so heartbroken and torn apart by this decision. I can’t believe it and I had NO clue it was coming. From what I gather, none of the alumnae know. At least none who were not part of the Board of Directors. I have so many emotions that I can not even express them right now. I feel as though someone has died. I feel like I am burying a family member. I am SO LOST and overwhelmed! I am ANGRY!

After some reflection on the above, I know that battle is not over! I know that even with SBC closing, I will still have my fellow Vixens and we WILL support each other and see each other. I will still have the great memories, loads of laughter, my fair share of tears, hours of hard work, great friends and sisters, and an education that has prepared me to change the world.

Over the last 48  hours, I have read every news article I can get my hands on; I have called, emailed, and texted my fellow Vixens. We are all in pain!! Even in that pain, we have banned together to try to do what we can to help—We will give words of encouragement to the current VIXENS; raise the money necessary to keep the doors open, if possible; and MOST importantly in my mind share our Sweet Briar Stories—One of our alum made a website SaveSweetBriar, where alumnae have come to share their stories; while tons more alumnae and current students flooded social media, especially twitter and tumblr with messages of strength and love for Sweet Briar tagging them #savesweetbriar. While I am not on facebook right now, due to my lenten promise, I can tell you with a HUGE degree of certainty that the Vixens took to facebook, knowing how passionate and vocal we all are!

For me three things stand out in the last forty hours when I stop and look past the pain—-

1) Wow!! The Alumnae come together fast!!! I knew we did; I watched us do it several times over the past several years since I graduated and even before I graduated for the families of and the alum themselves BUT this time means SO MUCH MORE to me personally! What an amazing group of women I am part of!!!

2) Our brother college Hampton Sydney has some awesome graduates including one who posted a great poem which is a tear-jerking good-bye to a Sister College on his blog and it has now been cross-posted on the Saving Sweet Briar Blog.

3) The last two Virginia Sister Colleges (Hollins and Mary Baldwin) have both opened their doors as has our Georgia Sister (Agnes Scott) to the Sweet Briar Ladies who will be displaced—they will be able to finish their education at an All-Women’s college. While a huge number of Women’s colleges don’t exist any more, the spirit is still ALIVE and STRONG!

Extra Star—4) Two more local colleges (Lynchburg College and Randolph College) and one college in Michigan (Kettering University: just for engineering) will also be accepting applications, which will be expedited. I know in the coming weeks many more places will end up with applications from Sweet Briar Women BUT it is nice to know that 6 colleges have come out and said “Come; we will work with you.”

The out-pour of LOVE and SUPPORT has been awesome and made me smile through the tears!

And on that note, I am off to plan my journey HOME to the PINK BUBBLE while listening to the OUR song, Sweet Briar Women!

HOLLA HOLLA

Rosam Quae Meruit Ferat
“She who has earned the rose may bear it.”

YouTube – Third Voice

I feel broken-hearted for all the ladies who feel that this the right choice. I say prayers daily for them and their families as well as friends. I pray that they see God Love for them. I pray that they hear the third voice. I can tell you as a teacher…a camp counselor….a catholic young lady…..no matter how much I wonder why some people got a chance, EVERYONE deserves that chance to be who they were meant to be, to change world( for the good, one hopes).

OH TEN

As I sit here typing I look around my dorm room for what is one of the last times, this room has been my home for the past year as I served as the resident advisor of my floor, a floor that has been home for the past three years. Tomorrow I will check the last of my students out and watch the seniors graduate. And with tears streaming down my face help check them out too. And for what will be my last time an underclassman, I will drive off my campus in the sunset headed home.

I know that this a high school graduation song but the sentiment is still the same. We will always have the memories and the relationships will continue to change and grow. I can honestly say that I have meet some amazing people here. The memories are just as great if not better in our opinions as the ones that our parents have of their years.

Class of 2010!! Congrats!!! Remember it is not Goodbye but See You Later!!!!

Freedom Friday

Every time I listen to this song I get chills. Those chills are the same that I get when I seethe cross in Arlington or Normandy! Those chills normally lead to tears. Tears for the sacrifice for those who died protecting my freedoms. The tears stream in happiness and gratitude for the protection and God’s forgiveness as well as ultimate sacrificer.

On my Honor

This song brings back memories….Fantastic ones… It is one of my favorite slow GS songs.

To use a piece of an essay I wrote a while ago:

It had always been my dream to sing “On My Honor” at a bridging ceremony. “On My Honor” is not a very popular song to sing in Girl Scouts because although it is a beautiful song, that makes people cry, it is a slow song and the faster, more upbeat song are more popular and typically more likely to be song at Girl Scout functions. I got that chance twice in my Girl Scout career. The year that I earned my Silver Award was the first time that I heard it sung at an actual bridging ceremony. I was surprised when the brand new Cadettes stood up after “Moosie” and I sang the moose song, and started singing “On My Honor” in honor of me and my Silver Award. The second time, I had taught the song to the bridging Juniors, so that they could sing it for their bridging ceremony. They dedicated it to me and my dedication to Girl Scouts because that weekend I had run camporee. Every time I hear “On My Honor”, it brings tears to my ears, especially these two times because not only was I touched but I felt honored and loved by my fellow Girl Scouts.

So to all of my fellow GS lifers and members….heres to you!!!

Chorus :
On my honor, I will try.
There’s a duty to be done and I say aye.
There’s a reason to be here for a reason above.
My honor is to try and my duty is to love.

People don’t need to know my name.
If I’ve done any harm, then I’m to blame.
If I’ve helped someone, then I’ve helped me.
And I’ve opened up my eyes to see.

Chorus

I’ve tucked away a song or two.
If you’re feeling low, there’s one for you.
If you need a friend, then I will come.
And there’s many mmore where I come from.

Chorus

Friendship is the strangest thing
if you keep it to yourself, no reward will bring
but you gave it away, you gave it to me
and from now on great friends we’ll be

Chorus

Come with me where the fire burns bright,
We can even see better by the candle’s light.
And we’ll find moremeaning in a campfire’s glod,
Than we’ve ever found in a year or so.

Chorus

We’ve a promise to always keep.
And to pray “Softley Falls” before we sleep.
We are Girl Scouts together and when we’re gone,
We’ll still be trying and singing this song.

Chorus

Be Loud And PROUD!!!

So, I was teaching today. I was teaching a lesson on ideal gas law. The videos worked. The students seemed to understand the concept and examples. They got the work done for the most part. Note to self: check math before giving answers.

Which Brings me to the title of this post….now it tyes in with teaching and the fact that today is Good Friday, which we will get back to. Anyway, after the lesson, the teacher that I am observing commented on several thing saying that they were tips for improvements. The big thing was write BIGGER and PROJECT my voice! And he promises the nerves will calm down.

Now onto Good Friday, last year I was introduced to the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which I LOVED. That day was one of the first times that the rosary did not seem like a broken record. Well, this year I was sent a link for it in song form or at least part of it. Well, I found a longer version that is absolutely beautiful. (yes it is three videos long.)

Now this Holy week has an added mix of joy and sorrow, a few days prior to Thursday, a fellow blogger buried his mother; this blogger is my age and has a baby sister. However, that same day or very close to it, my old Catholic Youth Group Leader, who is now in Seminary, announced that his mother was joining the Church this Easter. THIS is fantastic news as well as a beautiful testimony to His faith and the strength of prayer.

More joy is that the Rice family finally has their newest son home. I will let him tell you the story but may I jsut say that, this is yet another Great Testimony to the strength of prayer and faith.

In the end, I leave you with a commentary on Easter, Jesus, and “The Comma.“

And then, he drops the 9 words that I can’t write about enough. The 9 words that I often turn to when I’ve failed and messed up again and feel hopelessly undeserving of hope.

Jesus tells Simon:

“And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Freedom Music

I love Mrs. Albrecht’s choices for her Freedom Friday every week. Today’s was beautiful and lovely.

So glad you called….

Just an amazing song!!! YOu can hear it at sogladyoucalled.com or read about MAtt Kennon’s song The Call at Jill Stanek and watch the video. I have to say that based on training, we do really have to wonder about the suicide attempt but Matt does sell it well. I would like to point out that some abortion mills do not allow cell phones, therefore that call might not have not gone through but THANK GOD it did in this case!

I Won’t Let My Guard Down

Darby Ledbetter is a NG himself.  He knows the price of duty. While this song was written about his fellow NGs; it applies to ALL of the MILITARY PERSONAL.

NG website also has his song as information as well as a video or two.

The Price of Peace

Gaddis Sisters are amazing NG MBs. I have to say that they have fantastic voices too.

In some ways NG MBs have it harder because they are “suddenly military kids.”  There parents are part-time military, part-time civilian, which is admorable and hard! Not to mention that they have even less certainity in what will happen in terms of the parents deploying and TDYing; at least I had some knowledge of what might happen or at least could.

On the NG website, you can watch a video of their song and download their song (limited) as well as see their story. Their song applies to all MBs and brings back some pretty strong memories.