Brookes’ Bytes

Laughter: Contagious laughter, my dad’s wheezy laugh, Nayt hysterically laughing at some tv show…these things give my abs a workout. You can tell when someone is appeasing the not-so-funny amateur comedian’s joke. And you can tell when someone is TRULY laughing. I love it when I’m with my family or my in-laws and stories are told that make everyone laugh. Eyes light up. And the whole room feels warmer.

Libraries: There’s a whole world of literature that would never be read by us “commonfolk” if there weren’t public libraries. Even as an adult, walking into one makes me feel good…even though the funding for libraries has been shrunk and now I check out books with a computer not a human, which is weird. I couldn’t be in a book club if it weren’t for libraries, cause I can’t afford to buy a new book every month. And the library has DVDs and CDs! I remember, as a high schooler, borrowing all kinds of music that I wouldn’t go purchase. It was like taste testing, only with sound. Best library I’ve ever been to? The public library in Westerville, Ohio. (That’s a suburb of Columbus.) That library is HUGE, very clean, has comfy chairs and a whole video section that’s like a tiny Blockbuster inside the library. Otterbein College was so lucky to sit nearby it. Go invade a public library and read some books!

Life: Ever get that feeling that you are alive? Not just breathing, but fully functioning as the best of yourself? Sometimes I feel like I’ve reached a rich point in time…as if the timeline of my life is mostly made up of carrots, bread and tuna fish and there are certain pockets that are chocolate cake with creamy icing. This really is a gift: living. Being able to change and grow, to have another chance. To wake up another day. To try again. To work hard. To be. We have absolutely no say in how long we live…when we really think about it. I can workout and eat healthy but still die at any moment. My taking care of myself doesn’t guarantee my future. Today is brand new. What are you gonna do with it?

Light: There’s this moment every morning where I realize it’s morning because there’s light hitting the room or my face. I love this feeling. There’s a split second where I feel warm and content and safe because it’s light outside. The sun hits our house just right that it floods the extra bedroom (my crafting space) with all this beautiful orangey light in the morning. Since I get my creative energy in the morning, I love this. It feels like God has opened a cosmic can of wonderfulness and just poured it all over that space. The way the sun looks rising and setting is very beautiful to me. I’m constantly distracted by this when I’m driving. Lol. I’m not a nighttime person. I get sleepy as soon as it starts to be twilighty…or at 9pm, whichever comes first. I enjoy summer and spring because the amount of lighttime is longer. During the winter, it feels like there’s just enough light to cover your workday and then it’s “lights out!” :-/ Me no likey. Bring on the light!