What does it mean to really come full circle? Does it mean that you realize your meaning/your calling/your vocation? Does it mean that you are in a position of leadership or authority after having been on the other side? Does it mean that you are coming around to realizing things that you haven’t seen before? I’d say yes to each of those ideas.

By and large, one of my biggest regrets lately has been not having the time to blog. It’s not because I haven’t taken the time to – I have tried and tried and have numerous blog post drafts in my dashboard that will hopefully see the light of day…some day. But it’s officially April which at Virginia Tech means a ton of programming, a ton of work, a ton of meetings, and, well….just a ton of everything.

With all of that, my regret of not having time to blog really strikes me because I want to be able to use this blog as a journal. I want to be able to look back on every single post and remember a flow. Needless to say the end of March 2013 into the current month will be spotty…but I’ll just have to lean on my own brain for recalling that.

But anyways – to the point of this blog post.  The idea, “full circle” is in quotation marks as the subject for this post, because this evening I had a true…realization.

Today wasn’t the first time that I realized how fortunate I am.  I am at the greatest university in the world, studying something that I find so interesting, around people that I absolutely love, in a community that I’m constantly learning about and think is a fantastic blend of amazing. But even after having been for four full years now, I’m still learning so much more….and realizing that I really am in the right place right now.

Day in and day out I have studies that I need to focus on – papers to write, book chapters to read, etc., the typical Graduate School thing. But truth be told, I am constantly realizing that my best and most memorable moments come outside of the classroom.  Whether it’s the two adult students from Florida that I gave a Graduate School tour to last week, or the high school seniors that I got to entertain during high-school Spring Break as a Hokie Ambassador, or the activities I do in my spare time like supporting entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech.  Or maybe it’s even what I get paid for – mentoring my wonderful McNair Scholars.

In the end, there are certainly not enough hours in the day but I know that if I get everything I need to get done the rest will fall into place.  I am constantly putting others needs before my own and not because I want to be altruistic or serve others but because I’m unhappy if I”m not doing that.

In about one week, I’ll be in Harrisonburg speaking at the “You Can Change the World Symposium.” I’ve made a  few notes on what I will say to these students but I’m realizing more and more that I’m completely obsessed with students because they really do have the power to change the world. And that is just a wonderful, wonderful thing to realize as you come full circle.

** DISCLAIMER: This post is a rarity. It’s one about religion. As noted, the purpose of this blog is to not only spread good news and recipes but also to be a journal that I can look back on and say, “Wow. I’ve changed.” My definition of my own religion is one that is changing constantly. I do not write this blog to offend anyone but instead I encourage you to consider how you feel about religion, if it’s important to you at all.  I acknowledge and accept that it is not important to some and that it is the center of importance for others. I hope you read this blog post understanding that I truly do fall somewhere in the middle. **

One of my most adamant values in life is that I believe religion is important, but I also believe that it can be pretty exclusive.  In life, I try not to do anything that might exclude anyone from anything intentionally; I know that it’s a miserable feeling when you feel like an outsider.  And this is why I don’t bring up religion in almost any setting.  I’ll talk about it with my significant other or with very close friends, but never in public forums or in a situation where I haven’t deliberated my thoughts and can form clear, tactful statements about my own opinions.  People often toss around religion without having a solid understanding of the religion they are discussing or about their own feelings about the religion.

All of that being said, I am very accepting of and try my best to learn about other religions.  Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve made it a goal to annually attend a church service that is something other than the one that I was raised to believe in.  Personally, I am a Christian and I am Baptist.  I was raised in this faith and hold it true in my own mind and heart. I believe in a God and a greater power that none of us can see or comprehend.  I am also very honest about the fact that while I believe in religion, I would not consider myself religious.

I do not go to church every Sunday, and I also am not one of those people who only goes on major holidays – I think that’s a show and unnecessary. I tend to go to church when I feel a personal calling to. Not just when I’m confused or lost or upset, but when I feel the need to go worship in a particular place; then, I’ll go.

That being said, my parents have always, always taught me that you do not need to be in a particular place to praise your God. In fact, I’ve taken that and understood it as you do not need to praise anyone else’s mutually accepted God either.  As a God believer, I believe that whatever God you praise is your own personal decision and how and when and where you praise it is your own personal decision, not to be influenced by a human.

Having attended a Catholic church for Easter this year, it was a pretty interesting experience. It wasn’t my first time.  As usual, I found the songs kind of boring but the message from the sermon itself mentally and personally enthralling.  Some general thoughts I pulled from this year’s Easter message:

• Most people are living in fear of the fear and turmoil and danger around them.
• No matter what we are afraid of, there are things that are bigger around us; like our community.
• In order to give service you need to be able to receive service graciously.
• What do we do with this message??

As I break down how I feel about that message, I have to give a shout out to one of my best friends in the world, Kimmie Williams.  One of the first times I was really confronted with the Catholic faith was as a college student.  I am always seeking greater understanding, and I mentioned this to Kimmie during our sophomore year. She immediately recommended I come to what was sort of an info-session, but way more than that at the same time; a sit down with her, a few other friends, and Father John – the head of the Catholic community at Virginia Tech.

Going with Kimmie to that event changed my perception of religion a bit. it made me flex my mind’s muscles and think outside of what only I accepted. Most of all, over time, my religion has evolved to make me always focus on what I believe is important:

Friendships and relationships.

That is why this Easter, I was actually quite happy when my ex-girlfriend, but still good friend, Julianne invited me to Easter service with her.  I was also happy when numerous friends offered Potlucks in celebration of the holiday – even those that are not Christian or do not observe it.

I spent the morning cooking breakfast with her and Kristin, and the evening enjoying food with friends, new and old, at an Easter potluck.  Now…let’s be honest. I hold food very highly, also. So I take just about any holiday as an opportunity to enjoy some nom noms.

But all in all, this Easter I realized that I care less about religion and more about the people that I surround myself with and the company that I keep. There is nothing more important than friends and positive, quality relationships.  I realize that this may not be true for others, but it is for me.  I hope that no matter where I am in life I can always count on them.

Also, thank you for your more than kind words pertaining to my post about Kate. It is so nice to hear how connected we all are in life. Kids just seem to make the world a better, more manageable place and I am so glad to hear you agree. Thank you ever so much for taking the time to write and reach out, it means the world to me. I feel the more we all find common ground, the less heartache there is in the world. We all carry burdens and ours are more visible, but with that visibility we also have the power to forge connection and allow others to know they are not alone. As I have said many times, pain does not have a hierarchy, but everyone seems to feel alone in his or her pain. I am glad to see you and I are working so hard to change this…just to let people know they are not alone. And not only are they not alone, they can achieve, achieve more than they ever thought possible.

– Sarah Berger