I've been thinking...

The power went out so my mom and I went outside where it was cooler. Once the mosquitos joined us, my mom went back in, but I stayed.

And as I sat on my front porch this afternoon, I started thinking...

I thought about my dad. I've been missing him more than usual the past few days. It's just so hard...

I thought about a family from my school who lost a family member recently. I thought about children who may or may not grasp what's just happened in their little lives...

I thought about the loneliness my mom and I felt today, wishing my dad were here - wishing we were with family...

I thought about how I feel suspended between two worlds. I don't feel 100% at home here in Alabama. Yet I didn't feel 100% home in Senegal. I wondered (wonder) if those feelings will ever change...

I thought about my mom's upcoming major dental procedure, in which she'll have to be sedated...

I thought about how much that scares me and how I so wish I didn't have to be all alone in the waiting room waiting on it to be finished...

And my thoughts weren't all sad ones...

I thought about the love of my nieces. I thought about how they eagerly greet me with hugs and kisses and exclamations of "Zizzie!!!" when they see me...

I thought about how nice the rain was since I remember a time when I would go months and months without seeing rain...

I thought about my plans for my classroom decorations and lessons and activities for the oncoming school year...

I thought about friends (literally) all around the world...

I thought about my new Bible Study and how much I'm enjoying it...

And then I thought that maybe I'm thinking too much... :)

So I just focused on listening to the rain and looking at the beautiful green grass and had one last thought...

Life really stinks sometimes. But then again, life is really great sometimes :)