Keep Calm And Write On

(This post was written last year) September 15th was Concussion Awarness Day. Or as I refer to it, every day of my life. I would have posted something on here but...I have a concussion. Sitting down at the computer to write is uncomfortable, and often impossible. So I cranked out a few facebook statuses throughout the day and i called it good. But even my longest post, a free verse poem of sorts, didnt go into the detail of explaining what its like to live with this.  I used to be really uncomfortable with the idea of referring to what I live with as an "injury", it was just my life. few people around me seemed to think it was serious so I didnt either. I expected myself to live up to the ability of others and up to the ability of my pre-concussion self and was intesely frustrated and let down when it didnt happen. Because it rarely does. At the same time, i didnt want to admit the impact that my injury had on me. I knew people who had it worse and so I wouldn't c

Dear Future Children I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I'm not like everyone else and I never will be. When I tell you about my college days, I won't be telling you about studying abroad or touring with the choir or the mission trips I went on. I won't tell you about being the president of this club or the secretary of that one. I won't be telling you about my job at the library or at admissions. Because none of that happened. Not to me. I will, however tell you about 6 concussions, countless migraines, sleepless nights, that one class I barely passed, and that one professor I loved and who retired too soon. I'll tell you about my favorite introvert retreat spots, the balconies overlooking the woods and the Beaver River. I'll tell you about 3 school years (4, by the time you hear about it) that I spent in the dining hall as a nondescript dishroom worker. I'll tell you about the opportunities I continually passed up and how I wondered all the time

Solitude. Solitude, oh solitude, how delicious and sweet do you become when I just need a treat. A time to rest, reconnect and sit. Ask me my favorite thing, this will probably be it. Solitude, oh solitude, won't you be mine? Away from the hustle, the bustle, the grind? Oh solitude, dear solitude, where do you live? On balconies, in coffee cups, a few moments away. In time in devotions, starting or ending my day. Solitude, sweet solitude, I come to you swift. Burdened, worn down, I just need a lift. Solitude, in fact, I may need you more than most. Solitude, my solitude, to you a toast. May you always be refreshing, renewing and mild. May you never be a box to be checked or a task to be filed. May you always be a place I can come to and see. What I've learned, what should be done, to take care of me. Shannon Meiers 2018

It seems that the world of media is quite insistent on reminding me that I am single. Every sitcom, cartoon and commercial seems rife with couples wrapped up in each other.  And in a few short days is the holiday of which I am not fond. Welcome to Valentine's Day, ladies= the day where those of you who have a man will be showered with red roses and expensive chocolate, and those of us who don't will feel like hanging cupid by his bowstring.  Yippe. What's the whole deal about cupid, anyway? Who came up with the idea of a naked baby flying around hitting people with arrows in order to make them fall in love with each other.  Would someone please tell me whats so romantic about an arrow? Nothing says love like a barbed stick fired at your behind, I suppose. The thing that bothers me most about cupid isnt even the badly timed archery. It's his arrogance. He thinks that he has the perfect match for everyone on earth. Forgive me, but I would much rather put my trus

Sickness Pain Sadness Tough financial spots These all present opportunities for fear to creep in. Fear of the unknown, of uncharted waters. What's happening? How do I make it stop? Where is God when I need Him? Why do I feel like He's not here? Can't I get some kind of magic ticket printed out that tells me what the end result will be when all this is over?  Oh, if only. But it doesn't work that way, I'm afraid. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you have the guarantee of eternity. But just because we have a certain eternal life ahead doesn't mean that this life will be all roses. Stuff happens. From spilled toothpaste to lost jobs, unwashed dishes to dead car batteries, bad hair days to bad health days, this world has stuff going on that effects us every day. Sometimes we can't change that. All we can change is our attitude.  Moses had a lot going on. To start with, it was a very unlucky time to be a Heb

So for year's, a new phenomenon has swept the nation, to choose one word instead of typical new year's resolutions. I don't always participate in this, although I have on occasion. This year, I think it's clearer to me than it ever has been that life is so short, but its also incredibly unique. My life is not exactly like anyone else's, and everyone else's is not exactly like mine. If my form of adventure is a two hour road trip to see my best friend and her family, then that is my adventure. If I never travel like others, and never set foot on a foreign mission field, I am an adventurer and a missionary nonetheless. From this knowledge comes my first word Content. This year, I'm making an intentional effort to look for opportunities right where I am. If I believe God is sovereign, I must believe there is a reason for all of the struggles I've had, and all the ways my life is different from others. Calm is my second word. Unfortunately, anxiet