Normal is such a silly word. What is it anyway?
Last year at this time, normal was saying goodbye to my residents, finishing up my support letters, getting shots and collecting donations for Thailand.
Not long after, it was being at home, making jewelry for the Not for Sale Campaign, reading thought-provoking books, enjoying summer, and going to Cool Beans with Pam and Amy.
A month later, it was hosting English parties for the principals and teachers of the World Vision sponsored schools in Phanat Nikom, Thailand, playing with the kids at Abundant Life Home, and eating rambutans and lychees.
A few months after that, normal was waking up with Mandy and Christy and walking outside onto N Broad Street where the whole world was waiting. It was going to Temple classes, taking a bus downtown to my internship, drinking lattes at Joe’s, eating falafel with Elyse on South Street and sushi with Kaitlin at the SAC, hanging out with Judy or Mugsy or Flo at my waiting stop, and falling in love with the broken-down-ness of Philly.
Then it was baking a million Italian nut-balls and Russian tea cakes with Dad around Christmastime, wearing sweaters, and celebrating the holidays with family in Pennsylvania.
A little while later, normal was trying to get rid of jet-lag while I rode elephants and bamboo rafts and went to silk factories and silver shops and experienced Thailand as a tourist.
A month later, normal was putting on my CMU uniform, drinking instant coffee with my Khun Me before walking to school, sitting through intense Thai language classes, taking a song-tau to my internship where I sat with and taught English to Pi Wara and Pi Jim in the afternoons, and taking frequent trips to Cafe Mong Pearl.
A little while later, normal was wearing a pack, bouncing all over Thailand with my best friends, trying to find the best cup (or bag) of iced coffee.
After that, it was walking down orange dirt paths with my little sisters in Musekee, interviewing villagers, singing and worshipping by candlelight, supporting the "coffee shop" with Sarah and Chris, making friendship bracelets, and sipping boxes of soy milk with Aaron from the corner store.
Then it was wandering around a refugee camp.
And now it’s being at one of my homes in New Jersey, drinking coffee with Mom in the morning as she gets ready for work, running errands, unpacking and packing and sorting and getting rid of things I don’t need, planning for wedding showers, and going for walks with Doug.
For me, normal has been (and will continue to be for the forseeable future) change and movement and transition and falling in love with people and saying goodbyes and experiencing new things and getting out of my comfort zone...and drinking a good cup of coffee. Normal just isn't normal anymore. I'm thankful for growth and change, that we aren't the same as we were a year ago, and we're all works in progress. And I'm thankful that God doesn't fit into my concept of normal, and that He consistently and unexpectedly and radically and lovingly shows up everywhere.
