It has finally happened: summer is officially over. And for the first time in a few years, it pains me that this has happened. Instead of having perfectly bright, autumn, brisk mornings, we get cold rain and cloudy skies. Here is to hoping the weather improves! Now a recap of my week and some thoughts that have been in my mind…

Earlier last week, I received some sad news. On Tuesday, September 19, Mexico was hit by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. Just 12 days before that it had been hit by a 8.1 earthquake. I first found about it from my sister’s text where she told us (my family and I) that she was fine. I was relieved to hear she was okay. However, I had forgotten that my dad was going to be in Mexico City that day. When I heard that my dad was there I immediately started praying for his welfare. It took longer to hear back from him and I promise, 18 minutes have never ever passed by so slowly. Finally, he contacted us and said he, too, was fine.

Moments like this certainly make you revaluate what you hold as important. As I was waiting to hear back from my dad, I started thinking how insignificant everything seemed compared to loosing someone you love. I am blessed to not have lost anyone on Tuesday and for that I am and will be eternally grateful. Nevertheless, the experience has shed a much needed light to the things that really matter in life.

We get so worried about trivial things. We get annoyed by inconsequential things. We act ungratefully towards each other.  We overlook our blessings constantly. We take for granted too many things. And in the end, I think we would have wished we hadn’t. Life is better than our bad days, bigger than our fears, and shorter than it appears to be. I hope that from this day onward, neither you nor I will take from granted anything that is good in life because things can change literally in a blink of eye.

You remember the scene in Cinderella when the mice make her a dress in her birthday? Well, that’s exactly how this dress came to be. Except it was not my birthday and it was my sister who made the dresses.

This summer I talked my sister into learning how to use a sewing machine. To be honest, I just needed some tailoring done (being petite makes it difficult to find fitted clothes) but I did not want to learn how to do it myself. What started as tailoring soon became a… I want a dress like this one but without this other thing. And my sister, being the saint she is, obliged to my desires. Ever since we crossed this dress-making point, she has made me a few clothing pieces. She has struggled and learned through each one of them and that is why they are so precious to me. More often than not, she ends up frustrated with me because I am “too picky” or “too critical.” I like to think about it as knowing what I want 😉 .

My sister says I have a way to make people do whatever I want. I believe she makes these dresses out of love and since my version sounds better (and ten times less manipulative), it is the one I will keep. Does exploiting my sister makes me the most terrible person ever? Yes, it probably does. But hey, at least now my clothes fit perfectly.

I have never been good at starting new things. Now that I think about it, almost every class, extra-curricular activity, and food that I have tried has been a non-voluntary action. Why would anyone abandon their comfort zone? Really, why?

Facing new things has never been my strength. I like knowing what I am doing and how to do things. So whenever a new semester starts I inevitably feel this massive hole in my stomach. It doesn’t matter that I have been going to school for more than 20 years, I still dislike the idea of not being completely in the know of what’s the future looks like.

This week I was debating whether to keep a class or not. I have never had any exposure to a class like this one before. So I started to come up with reason why keeping it would not be a good idea: you won’t have time, you can’t take on a responsibility like this, you’re already taking too many classes, you’ll never make it. And then a small part of me whispered… but if you don’t do it now, then you’ll regret it.

It was then when this thought dawn on me. I am not taking this class because I feel confident about it or because I am an expert. I am taking it because I know nothing about it. And that is perfectly fine. I still feel nervous and doubtful (I’m scared out of my mind, if I’m being honest). And, inexplicably, at the same time I feel a peace of mind that assures me it will all work out.

In terms of facing your fears, I would be the last person you’d come to for guidance. I would never had encouraged myself to willingly do anything out of my comfort zone, let alone encourage others. Nevertheless, here I am facing my fears. In a small and probably insignificant way, but in the end it is a start. I guess my point is: if there’s something that you want to do or need to change, then do it! Even if it scares you out of your mind, even if it takes time, and even if every molecule of the universe says you won’t succeed, because in then end it is a start.