Dear Friend,
In our life we are forced to make a lot of hard decisions, most of which are not easy or simple. The decisions that we make can have a lasting effect on our character, image, and well-being. Some of these decisions come at a cost as well, even if the over all result is positive. In this post we will outline some of the hardest decisions and choices that we all face on our path to happiness.
First however, we need to talk about happiness. The sort of happiness we are discussing is not that temporary happiness after eating your favorite candy bar. It is the lasting happiness that makes you a better person. The type that gives your confidence and allows you to hold your head high because you made the decision that was right for you, and you feel awesome.
Choosing Happiness: Under Pressure
Lots of times, people that we look up to and consider close friends turn out to not be as supportive as we would like to believe they are. When we are making a tough decision, we can tell our true friends by those who believe in us and stand by us no matter what. This doesn't mean that they can't challenge our decisions to help us, but true friends should never make you do things that you wouldn't do on moral or principle. Lots of times we are pressured to make a choice by friends, classmates, or even society. Friends might pressure you to go to a party you really don't want to go to, classmates pressure you to push yourself as far as you possibly can in order to "succeed", and society pressures us every day to be prettier, skinnier, taller, etc. Not all of these people have bad intentions. Your friend might just want you to have a fun night, but if they really cared about you they would see that you would much rather stay at home with a movie and a bowl of ramen. Classmates challenging you to do better can be beneficial, but when they begin to make you feel guilty for choosing the schedule that was right for you, their pressure becomes negative. We won't even start on society's pressure, as this is a whole post in itself. The bottom line is this: do what is right for you. Make the choice that will bring you the most happiness. Take opinions into account, but use discrepancy to know who's opinion you should really take into consideration, and who is speaking without thinking.
Choosing Happiness: Friends and Family
As we said in our previous post, friends are the family that we choose for our self. For this reason, it is important that we choose our friends wisely. You should always be kind, but remember that it is okay to break from those who aren't good for you. Friends should be people that you surround yourself with because they lift you up to a higher place. If a friend spends all their time bringing other people down, this is only because, metaphorically speaking, the victim of their judgement is higher than them. It is perfectly valid and constructive to ask for help with friendships, but when asking turns to venting which turns to gossiping, this is not a healthy friendship. Friendships should not be based off of tearing other people apart. For this reason, choose friends that will make you HAPPY. Friends that are constantly venting or gossiping or drinking etc. are not good friends to have.
Family is equally important. You don't really have a choice about your family, except who you marry*. Although there are some exceptions, family is that one thing you can't get rid of. At the end of the day, we both know that no matter how bad our life seems, we can still hug our parents and hear them say that everything will be alright in the end because somehow hearing that from your mom or dad makes you believe it. We are both very lucky that we have amazing parents that support our choices of happiness.
Choosing Happiness: Follow your Heart
How do we know what the "right" choice is? Often times this can be tricky. There are some tricks that can help you decide. One we will focus on is called the "Ice Cream Trick". Let's say that it is a hot summer day, and you and a friend go out for ice cream. When you get to the store there are two flavor choices: vanilla and chocolate. The boy working at the store asks you what kind you would like. You are distracted by his stunning eyes and gorgeous smile that at this point you don't really care so you say "surprise me". He hands you over a cone with vanilla ice cream. Once he does this however, you realize that you would really actually like chocolate. This is sort of like what happens in life. We are presented with options but we get distracted by smaller details (the ice cream boy) or other things in our life so we choose an option at random. When we make the "wrong" choice, we are met with that feeling of receiving an ice cream flavor that you didn't realize would disappoint you so much. Although you would have rather had the chocolate, you didn't speak up because you didn't want to look picky in front of the boy. In life, often times people don't speak up for what they want because they are afraid of criticism or they convince themselves that they don't care. Before making decisions, weigh your options. Really immerse yourself in what your life wold be like if you skipped work to go to that party, or took classes you weren't excited about just because "that's what everyone else is doing!" Once you get better at making the choices that feel right, you will soon be making choices that support your happiness. Good luck!
Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
*Referendum 74 is passing in Washington State with 68% of the votes counted and a 52% approval lead. This means that Kylie's parents can officially get married and she can stop feeling guilty about lying and having to say that yes, her parents have been together as long as all of her friend's parents but no, they cannot be legally married because of government mandate. Congratulations to all of the "civil unions" which will soon change to marriages. So proud.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Kylie and Catherine: Elections 2032
Dear Friend,
To run for president of the United States of America, one must be 35 years old. Conveniently, this will be true of both of us during the 2032 elections. We're all about thinking ahead, so we're here to announce to you today that we, Kylie and Catherine, are running for president in the 2032 elections.
We realize that this is a very big decision, but we think we are ready for the job. We won't choose a vice president since we're in it together, so we'll be a packaged deal for both government roles. We think we can handle it. Hopefully by 2032 we'll be famous bloggers, which will get us the popular vote...or at least the electoral college vote.
The way the electoral college works, we could win 23% of the popular vote and still over 270 electoral college votes. Although many people believe that the electoral votes are evenly distributed to states based on population, this is not in fact the case. The electoral college takes votes from big states and gives them to smaller states. The electoral college pretends that more people live where they don't, and less people live where they do. Hence why we can come put victorious, regardless of the fact that 77% of America vote against us...YOLO.
As we continue to discuss our campaign strategies, we will give you updates on our journey to the White House. For now we just wanted to let you know this exciting news as it is a very big deal in our life. Congratulations to Barack Obama for winning a second term. If we don't say so ourselves, he ROCKED his speech and we couldn't be happier about the results. Whether you were for or against a second term, we are all in this together, like Obama's first tweet said after being reelected.
2032: Dear Friend, we're running for YOU.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
To run for president of the United States of America, one must be 35 years old. Conveniently, this will be true of both of us during the 2032 elections. We're all about thinking ahead, so we're here to announce to you today that we, Kylie and Catherine, are running for president in the 2032 elections.
We realize that this is a very big decision, but we think we are ready for the job. We won't choose a vice president since we're in it together, so we'll be a packaged deal for both government roles. We think we can handle it. Hopefully by 2032 we'll be famous bloggers, which will get us the popular vote...or at least the electoral college vote.
The way the electoral college works, we could win 23% of the popular vote and still over 270 electoral college votes. Although many people believe that the electoral votes are evenly distributed to states based on population, this is not in fact the case. The electoral college takes votes from big states and gives them to smaller states. The electoral college pretends that more people live where they don't, and less people live where they do. Hence why we can come put victorious, regardless of the fact that 77% of America vote against us...YOLO.
As we continue to discuss our campaign strategies, we will give you updates on our journey to the White House. For now we just wanted to let you know this exciting news as it is a very big deal in our life. Congratulations to Barack Obama for winning a second term. If we don't say so ourselves, he ROCKED his speech and we couldn't be happier about the results. Whether you were for or against a second term, we are all in this together, like Obama's first tweet said after being reelected.
2032: Dear Friend, we're running for YOU.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Monday, November 5, 2012
Learning
Dear Friend,
Today, the phrase "doing school" often has a negative connotation to it. As current students, we are constantly surrounded by high levels of stress due to school. We've seen everything from people frantically rushing to print their latest history paper to cramming for their upcoming biology test. These high stress situations often result in tears, short tempers, and chaos- the epitome of panic mode. It is very disconcerting and upsetting for us to see some of our classmates turn into sleep-deprived zombies with the passion to learn simply sucked out of them. Doing school should not solely be associated with grades and evaluations, it should be about our love for learning. It can be difficult and challenging, but we should not have to drag ourselves out of bed each morning just to attend school. Instead, we should realize how fortunate we are to have an education in the first place and remind ourselves of our favorite subject and why we love it. The two of us don't have a favorite subject; we think each one is special in its own way.
English
First and foremost, English is very important to us because we use it in everything we do. We wouldn't know how to communicate without being able to speak, read, and write properly. However, when we think of English, we often associate it with imagination. Having no limits on imagination allows us to pick up a book and suddenly be transported back to the Middle Ages or write a creative story about a parallel universe. English allows us to expand our thoughts and realize how endless possibilities are.
Math
We both agree that math is definitely one of the more challenging subjects. We are taking a statistics class this year and we just finished up IB SL 2/AP Calculus last year. However, as difficult and frustrating these classes can be, math is a subject we highly enjoy. Math is all around us and can be applied to almost everything. When we're in math class, it's almost as if we've been transported to a whole different world where we only speak "numbers." Math allows us to use our problem solving skills, which can be very beneficial to us in real life situations. By trying new methods to solve a problem, we are able to look at situations with different perspectives.
Sciences
We can never escape science. Science is evident in our daily lives- it explains how trees change colors in the fall, how cancer develops, and how we are alive as human beings. We love science because it brings out the curious side in all of us. We are constantly asking questions and trying to find answers to them. Science is the foundation for innovation.
The Arts
Often time, we restrict ourselves into very linear thinking. In art, there is no right or wrong answer- everything is abstract because we are able to express a wider variety of ideas and emotions. Art also teaches us to be flexible because things never go as planned- each theater performance, art piece, and song is different. Creativity goes hand in hand with the arts because it allows us to pursue knowledge in our own unique way.
History
In history class, we are exposed to so many cultures, perspectives, and ideas. By looking at historical events, some say we can learn from our mistakes. However, the two of us don't find that totally true- if we really learned from our mistakes, why are events that happened hundreds of years ago still occurring today? We don't learn from our mistakes- we just do them better.
We could probably go on and on about why we have such an affinity towards all these subjects, but it all comes down to our passion to learn. Whether it's the feeling of satisfaction you get when you finally solve a math problem or the thrill you get when you realize how the human body functions, learning is so valuable. To us, learning doesn't mean sitting in class and jotting down pages of facts- it is about finding so much joy in absorbing the given information and being able to apply that to daily situations. So, even when "doing school" gets tough, don't forget to remind yourself or others about the drive to learn.
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." -Gandhi
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Today, the phrase "doing school" often has a negative connotation to it. As current students, we are constantly surrounded by high levels of stress due to school. We've seen everything from people frantically rushing to print their latest history paper to cramming for their upcoming biology test. These high stress situations often result in tears, short tempers, and chaos- the epitome of panic mode. It is very disconcerting and upsetting for us to see some of our classmates turn into sleep-deprived zombies with the passion to learn simply sucked out of them. Doing school should not solely be associated with grades and evaluations, it should be about our love for learning. It can be difficult and challenging, but we should not have to drag ourselves out of bed each morning just to attend school. Instead, we should realize how fortunate we are to have an education in the first place and remind ourselves of our favorite subject and why we love it. The two of us don't have a favorite subject; we think each one is special in its own way.
English
First and foremost, English is very important to us because we use it in everything we do. We wouldn't know how to communicate without being able to speak, read, and write properly. However, when we think of English, we often associate it with imagination. Having no limits on imagination allows us to pick up a book and suddenly be transported back to the Middle Ages or write a creative story about a parallel universe. English allows us to expand our thoughts and realize how endless possibilities are.
Math
We both agree that math is definitely one of the more challenging subjects. We are taking a statistics class this year and we just finished up IB SL 2/AP Calculus last year. However, as difficult and frustrating these classes can be, math is a subject we highly enjoy. Math is all around us and can be applied to almost everything. When we're in math class, it's almost as if we've been transported to a whole different world where we only speak "numbers." Math allows us to use our problem solving skills, which can be very beneficial to us in real life situations. By trying new methods to solve a problem, we are able to look at situations with different perspectives.
Sciences
We can never escape science. Science is evident in our daily lives- it explains how trees change colors in the fall, how cancer develops, and how we are alive as human beings. We love science because it brings out the curious side in all of us. We are constantly asking questions and trying to find answers to them. Science is the foundation for innovation.
The Arts
Often time, we restrict ourselves into very linear thinking. In art, there is no right or wrong answer- everything is abstract because we are able to express a wider variety of ideas and emotions. Art also teaches us to be flexible because things never go as planned- each theater performance, art piece, and song is different. Creativity goes hand in hand with the arts because it allows us to pursue knowledge in our own unique way.
History
In history class, we are exposed to so many cultures, perspectives, and ideas. By looking at historical events, some say we can learn from our mistakes. However, the two of us don't find that totally true- if we really learned from our mistakes, why are events that happened hundreds of years ago still occurring today? We don't learn from our mistakes- we just do them better.
We could probably go on and on about why we have such an affinity towards all these subjects, but it all comes down to our passion to learn. Whether it's the feeling of satisfaction you get when you finally solve a math problem or the thrill you get when you realize how the human body functions, learning is so valuable. To us, learning doesn't mean sitting in class and jotting down pages of facts- it is about finding so much joy in absorbing the given information and being able to apply that to daily situations. So, even when "doing school" gets tough, don't forget to remind yourself or others about the drive to learn.
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." -Gandhi
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, November 4, 2012
PicFrame
Dear Friend,
Are you looking for yet another app to make your pictures look old, vintagey, and scrapbooky? Read on.
We have recently discovered a new app for the iPhone. This app is called PicFrame and it costs 99 cents on the iTunes app store. Basically it is a more convoluted version if Instagram. PicFrame allows you to choose from a variety of layouts, background styles, and image effects. Once you are happy with the layout and photos, you can curve the edges, make some pictures black and white, and add 3D effects. All very exciting and completely unnecessary, yet oh so fun. Once you've done this, you can add text. In our day and age, people are too lazy to buy supplies for an actual scrapbook, but never fear, this app will have your friends asking when you got so cool, and how they can be like you. You can overlay text on masking tape, ribbons, and more right on your iPhone. How great is that?! Once you have finalized your product, you can upload it on as many social media sites as you wish including tumblr, facebook, instagram, etc. You'll never have a dull photo again.
When we first bought PicFrame, we came up with a fun little phrase for when we use it to post photos. Instead of saying "Oh, we're going to tweet this" or "Let's insta this picture," we decided we should say "Pif it" when we use PicFrame. So get out there and splurge that 99 cents because this app is worth it.
"Pif it!"
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Are you looking for yet another app to make your pictures look old, vintagey, and scrapbooky? Read on.
We have recently discovered a new app for the iPhone. This app is called PicFrame and it costs 99 cents on the iTunes app store. Basically it is a more convoluted version if Instagram. PicFrame allows you to choose from a variety of layouts, background styles, and image effects. Once you are happy with the layout and photos, you can curve the edges, make some pictures black and white, and add 3D effects. All very exciting and completely unnecessary, yet oh so fun. Once you've done this, you can add text. In our day and age, people are too lazy to buy supplies for an actual scrapbook, but never fear, this app will have your friends asking when you got so cool, and how they can be like you. You can overlay text on masking tape, ribbons, and more right on your iPhone. How great is that?! Once you have finalized your product, you can upload it on as many social media sites as you wish including tumblr, facebook, instagram, etc. You'll never have a dull photo again.
When we first bought PicFrame, we came up with a fun little phrase for when we use it to post photos. Instead of saying "Oh, we're going to tweet this" or "Let's insta this picture," we decided we should say "Pif it" when we use PicFrame. So get out there and splurge that 99 cents because this app is worth it.
"Pif it!"
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Pet Peeves
Dear Friend,
The same pet peeves don't apply to everyone. Some people may not think much of one thing while others find it super annoying. We all have those little annoyances that send us over the edge. Below is a list of our pet peeves:
1. Missing socks
Where in the world do they go? This is very annoying because we don't know what to do with the sock we have left. Do you just wait until the other sock magically shows up? Or do you throw it away?
2. Dishwater
This is the left over water you find on dishes after they've been washed. The water is slippery and slimy, which we find gross. If they dishes are truly "done," there shouldn't be dishwater on them!
3. Boys who don't know how to pull up their pants
Seriously? The world doesn't need to know what your undergarments look like. Pull them up because you will trip.
4. Traffic
Sitting bumper to bumper is the worst. The engine is on and you aren't moving. Many times, traffic causes great road rage (read more about road rage on our previous post).
5. When the toilet paper roll is backwards
This pet peeve probably doesn't annoy many people, but we can't stand it. We don't know why, but we just can't deal with backward toilet paper rolls.
6. Marionberries
What are these berries? They make us nervous. If you can explain them to us, please do so.
7. Wobbly tables
This is the worst when you are trying to write. Did the carpenter not know how to measure the legs of the tables?
8. People who chew loudly
If you are enjoying your food, good for you...but you don't have to be as loud as an orchestra.
9. Excessive scratching
It's fine if you have an itch or two, but when you sit there for five minutes just scratching your leg...let's be honest, that is gross.
10. Squeaky pens
How can something little seem so loud?
11. When people use names in different languages just to sound "unique"
Sometimes, this can be cool...other times, this just makes you sound pretentious.
12. Friends who leave friends behind
We find this very sad. Even if you don't like that person anymore, don't ignore them. They are still human.
13. Awkward silences
These are very uncomfortable. When you try to get out of these, it's even more awkward. "Sooooo.......how about them Seahawks?"
14. When kids chase birds
Leave those poor animals alone! If they aren't do anything, mind your own business! (however, we find birds particularly annoying in general...they are like little spies)
15. Purple and green next to each other
Purple and green= barney. It's as simple as that.
16. Overgrown finger nails
Please cut them. What do they need to be so long...what even is a nail?
17. Bending the straw when you are trying to open a juice box
When you do this, the straw gets a little crease in it. Those should not be there.
18. When your phone decides to stop working
This is very, very bad when you are in the midst of telling someone something very important. This has happened to us multiple times- so stressful!
19. Surprise fruit in pastries
You know something isn't right when you bite into your coffee cake and find a blueberry. It just doesn't make sense.
20. Broken promises
This is very high up on our pet peeves list. Don't make promises you can't keep. This just makes people feel unimportant and not worth it.
What are some of your pet peeves?
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
The same pet peeves don't apply to everyone. Some people may not think much of one thing while others find it super annoying. We all have those little annoyances that send us over the edge. Below is a list of our pet peeves:
1. Missing socks
Where in the world do they go? This is very annoying because we don't know what to do with the sock we have left. Do you just wait until the other sock magically shows up? Or do you throw it away?
2. Dishwater
This is the left over water you find on dishes after they've been washed. The water is slippery and slimy, which we find gross. If they dishes are truly "done," there shouldn't be dishwater on them!
3. Boys who don't know how to pull up their pants
Seriously? The world doesn't need to know what your undergarments look like. Pull them up because you will trip.
4. Traffic
Sitting bumper to bumper is the worst. The engine is on and you aren't moving. Many times, traffic causes great road rage (read more about road rage on our previous post).
5. When the toilet paper roll is backwards
This pet peeve probably doesn't annoy many people, but we can't stand it. We don't know why, but we just can't deal with backward toilet paper rolls.
6. Marionberries
What are these berries? They make us nervous. If you can explain them to us, please do so.
7. Wobbly tables
This is the worst when you are trying to write. Did the carpenter not know how to measure the legs of the tables?
8. People who chew loudly
If you are enjoying your food, good for you...but you don't have to be as loud as an orchestra.
9. Excessive scratching
It's fine if you have an itch or two, but when you sit there for five minutes just scratching your leg...let's be honest, that is gross.
10. Squeaky pens
How can something little seem so loud?
11. When people use names in different languages just to sound "unique"
Sometimes, this can be cool...other times, this just makes you sound pretentious.
12. Friends who leave friends behind
We find this very sad. Even if you don't like that person anymore, don't ignore them. They are still human.
13. Awkward silences
These are very uncomfortable. When you try to get out of these, it's even more awkward. "Sooooo.......how about them Seahawks?"
14. When kids chase birds
Leave those poor animals alone! If they aren't do anything, mind your own business! (however, we find birds particularly annoying in general...they are like little spies)
15. Purple and green next to each other
Purple and green= barney. It's as simple as that.
16. Overgrown finger nails
Please cut them. What do they need to be so long...what even is a nail?
17. Bending the straw when you are trying to open a juice box
When you do this, the straw gets a little crease in it. Those should not be there.
18. When your phone decides to stop working
This is very, very bad when you are in the midst of telling someone something very important. This has happened to us multiple times- so stressful!
19. Surprise fruit in pastries
You know something isn't right when you bite into your coffee cake and find a blueberry. It just doesn't make sense.
20. Broken promises
This is very high up on our pet peeves list. Don't make promises you can't keep. This just makes people feel unimportant and not worth it.
What are some of your pet peeves?
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Friday, November 2, 2012
Ways to Describe Kylie and Catherine's Friendship
Dear Friend,
Our friendship isn't exactly normal. The two of us are like super besties. We don't know how or why, but we consider ourselves the same person. We have very similar values and we know exactly what the other is thinking- heck, we don't finish each other's sentences...we start them. In this post, we thought we'd share the following "ways" to describe our friendship.
"K and C"
This is the classic. "K and C" simply refers to our names. When you hear our names, you probably think "friends" or perhaps, "best friends." For example, tonight, Catherine participated in dance company and Kylie (along with many other wonderful friends) came to support her in the front row- and is planning to go to the second performance as well. We're the type of friends who attends every single one of each other's events and are cheering the loudest. We are each other's biggest fans.
"Bogo"
"Bogo" is most commonly known as "Buy one get one." This phrase applies to our friendship because when you see one of us, the other is bound to be just around the corner. We're "buy one get one". This isn't to say that we can't do things without the other, but we're most always together.
"Laotong/Laotang"
This comes from the movie 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'. Laotong sisters are two people who, in Chinese tradition, are basically mega-sisters. They are not actually related to one another, but they are connected at heart from a very young age. Although we haven't been friends since birth, or even fourth grade, we have some special connection that's really hard to explain.
"Partners in Crime"
Some people say that their best friend would be the one they would call if they needed help hiding a dead body. With us, we would be helping each other drag the body across the floor. Although we have never been in this situation, we have no doubt that we would always be there to help each other, with no judgement. Chances are we would have been planning whatever happened together. When something happens to one of us, whether it is good or bad, we're both effected and in it together.
"Twinning"
Twin-winning. We know basically everything about each other from pin numbers, to coffee orders, to least favorite kind of kale salad, to family dynamics. When one of our friends is looking for one of us, we always know where to find them. One, because we have a handy 'find your friends' app, but also simply because we are that in sync.
Friendship is one of the most important things to us in our life. Our parents have always told us that throughout life, you can only truly count your best friends on one hand because that is how special they are. Friends are like the family that we choose for ourselves. True friendship is a big commitment, but it is amazing to have people that you know you can count on no matter what, friends that would drop anything in a second to help you when you really need it, friends that would never dream of leaving you, friends that would help you deal with that dead body with no questions asked, friends that lift you to a higher place. Friendship doesn't rely on how often you see each other, it relies on how often you make the effort to connect on a deeper level than just joking around or asking mundane questions. We sincerely hope that you find these people in your life, because we're truly blessed.
As you can see, we really aren't your typical friends or even best friends.
We're just Kylie and Catherine.
"If you live to be a hundred, I want to life to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to life without you." -A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Our friendship isn't exactly normal. The two of us are like super besties. We don't know how or why, but we consider ourselves the same person. We have very similar values and we know exactly what the other is thinking- heck, we don't finish each other's sentences...we start them. In this post, we thought we'd share the following "ways" to describe our friendship.
"K and C"
This is the classic. "K and C" simply refers to our names. When you hear our names, you probably think "friends" or perhaps, "best friends." For example, tonight, Catherine participated in dance company and Kylie (along with many other wonderful friends) came to support her in the front row- and is planning to go to the second performance as well. We're the type of friends who attends every single one of each other's events and are cheering the loudest. We are each other's biggest fans.
"Bogo"
"Bogo" is most commonly known as "Buy one get one." This phrase applies to our friendship because when you see one of us, the other is bound to be just around the corner. We're "buy one get one". This isn't to say that we can't do things without the other, but we're most always together.
"Laotong/Laotang"
This comes from the movie 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'. Laotong sisters are two people who, in Chinese tradition, are basically mega-sisters. They are not actually related to one another, but they are connected at heart from a very young age. Although we haven't been friends since birth, or even fourth grade, we have some special connection that's really hard to explain.
"Partners in Crime"
Some people say that their best friend would be the one they would call if they needed help hiding a dead body. With us, we would be helping each other drag the body across the floor. Although we have never been in this situation, we have no doubt that we would always be there to help each other, with no judgement. Chances are we would have been planning whatever happened together. When something happens to one of us, whether it is good or bad, we're both effected and in it together.
"Twinning"
Twin-winning. We know basically everything about each other from pin numbers, to coffee orders, to least favorite kind of kale salad, to family dynamics. When one of our friends is looking for one of us, we always know where to find them. One, because we have a handy 'find your friends' app, but also simply because we are that in sync.
Friendship is one of the most important things to us in our life. Our parents have always told us that throughout life, you can only truly count your best friends on one hand because that is how special they are. Friends are like the family that we choose for ourselves. True friendship is a big commitment, but it is amazing to have people that you know you can count on no matter what, friends that would drop anything in a second to help you when you really need it, friends that would never dream of leaving you, friends that would help you deal with that dead body with no questions asked, friends that lift you to a higher place. Friendship doesn't rely on how often you see each other, it relies on how often you make the effort to connect on a deeper level than just joking around or asking mundane questions. We sincerely hope that you find these people in your life, because we're truly blessed.
As you can see, we really aren't your typical friends or even best friends.
We're just Kylie and Catherine.
"If you live to be a hundred, I want to life to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to life without you." -A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Grace
Dear Friend,
First of all, happy belated Halloween! We hope that you all had a fun and safe night last night.
Today's post is, as promised yesterday, about "Grace". Speaking to the etymology of the word, in biblical times, 'grace' meant things similar to God's favor, thanks, and mercy. When Christians sit down for a meal they say grace to give thanks for the meal set before them. More modern interpretations, according to good ol' Merriam-Webster, include "a pleasing appearance or effect", "a charming trait". But what is that trait to which Webster refers? As defined by Kylie and Catherine (we have the authority to define words because Kylie is related to Webster...true fact), grace is the following.
Grace. n.
1. Handling one's self with poise and confidence, staying composed when challenges present themselves, and always wearing one's invisible crown regardless of the situation.
Grace is a wonderful virtue. People who handle themselves with grace are mature, smart, and fabulous. These are the types of people that you would surround yourself with when everything in your world seems to be falling apart. Grace comes naturally to some people, others have to work a little harder. One thing is certain: everyone is capable of grace. Everyone is born with this ability, but if we don't practice grace often, we get into bad habits of freaking out when anything disappointing happens. When things don't go according to plan, many people are absolutely beside themselves. Whether this is something minor, like when the cafeteria doesn't serve pasta on pasta Monday, or something huge like not getting accepted to the college of your dreams, humans hate change. Well, most humans hate change. We actually think that change is good. Without change, life would be mundane, and we would never have opportunities to practice grace. But we digress.
Learning how to handle situations that don't go according to plan takes a lot of patience. As we mentioned yesterday, humans are sort of similar to soda cans. We bottle things up inside of us for as long as we can, so if someone shakes the can for long enough (in this case, if disappointment after disappointment keep happening) we explode. Some people get violent, others throw pity parties for WAY too long. Like many things, grace is a conscious decision. Others get angry when grace does not some to the quickly, but grace takes patience and practice. When something disappointing happens, try not to get too down on yourself. We are not saying you have to be happy if you don't get into your dream school, or smile if you do poorly in a ski race or whatever your challenges happen to be, but there are ways to deal with these situations that don't involve too many tears or emotional breakdowns. Ways to deal with these situations with GRACE. We've laid out a few steps, but please know that these are not solve-all solutions. They do help, however.
First of all, asses the situation. Let's say that you just got back results on something that you thought you would do really well on. Perhaps this is a race, or a test, or something else. Put these results in perspective. Ask yourself:
a) Did I try my best?
b) Is this a life or death situation?
If the answer to the first question is yes, then good on you. If it is no, then ask yourself why. Maybe you have a perfectly valid reason. Maybe you have had to balance too many things lately, and training for that run or studying for that test just wasn't top on your list. Besides the let down of your results, you should be proud of yourself for everything else you have going on in your life. Like someone once said, if you start a race, you are automatically ahead of the people sitting on their couches. Simply because you made the effort makes you awesome. This probably won't make you feel much better after getting the results you didn't want, but it's worth a try.
If the answer to the second question is yes, then we can't really help you with that. If you are disappointed because you just shot someone, than you should stop reading this blog and either turn your self in, or find a really good hiding spot. If the answer to this question is no, it is not life or death, think of all the blessings that you have in your life. If something terrible just happened like a death, or some serious problem, we are not trying to say this isn't important, because we understand that in this moment that whatever is causing you pain happens, one of the worst things someone can tell you is "it's not that bad" because in your life, it is. If you can, try to think happy thoughts. That's all we're saying.
After you have reflected on the situation, take deep breaths. These can be actual breaths, or just in your head. Breath in strength and courage, and breath out all of the negative emotions. What's happened has happened, and all you can do now is learn from your experience, integrate it into your life, and push forward.
Thirdly, hold your head up. You are a strong, wonderful person and you can be anything that you set your mind to. Note, we don't say you can DO anything you set your mind to, because this creates space for more let downs. You probably cannot become the fastest runner ever in the world, or the best mathematician, or even the two most world-famous bloggers (but God knows we keep trying). We aren't trying to be debbie-downers, we're just thinking realistically. But you CAN be anything you want. You can be poised, you can be inspiring, you can be mature, and you can be graceful. These are virtues which come from within. Simply make the decision, and practice, practice, practice until it becomes rooted into your soul. Nothing comes easy without practice, and changing your habits is the same way. However if you hold yourself to a standard of grace in everything you do, pretty soon you will succeed. This change of virtue and habit isn't something that you need to do for other people, but for yourself. However, once you make this mindset commitment, you will find yourself a much more relaxed and happy person who takes challenges and disappointments head on, and isn't perturbed by outside forces trying to shake your soda can until it explodes, hence making you a more likable person. If your life is a book, you are the author, and you are the only one who can make decisions on how you present yourself. Other people might offer suggestions for edits, but you have the final say.
You got this.
We hope that you stuck with us through that whole post. We know that it's long, but hopefully it was worth the read.
"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." -Denis Waitley
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
First of all, happy belated Halloween! We hope that you all had a fun and safe night last night.
Today's post is, as promised yesterday, about "Grace". Speaking to the etymology of the word, in biblical times, 'grace' meant things similar to God's favor, thanks, and mercy. When Christians sit down for a meal they say grace to give thanks for the meal set before them. More modern interpretations, according to good ol' Merriam-Webster, include "a pleasing appearance or effect", "a charming trait". But what is that trait to which Webster refers? As defined by Kylie and Catherine (we have the authority to define words because Kylie is related to Webster...true fact), grace is the following.
Grace. n.
1. Handling one's self with poise and confidence, staying composed when challenges present themselves, and always wearing one's invisible crown regardless of the situation.
Grace is a wonderful virtue. People who handle themselves with grace are mature, smart, and fabulous. These are the types of people that you would surround yourself with when everything in your world seems to be falling apart. Grace comes naturally to some people, others have to work a little harder. One thing is certain: everyone is capable of grace. Everyone is born with this ability, but if we don't practice grace often, we get into bad habits of freaking out when anything disappointing happens. When things don't go according to plan, many people are absolutely beside themselves. Whether this is something minor, like when the cafeteria doesn't serve pasta on pasta Monday, or something huge like not getting accepted to the college of your dreams, humans hate change. Well, most humans hate change. We actually think that change is good. Without change, life would be mundane, and we would never have opportunities to practice grace. But we digress.
Learning how to handle situations that don't go according to plan takes a lot of patience. As we mentioned yesterday, humans are sort of similar to soda cans. We bottle things up inside of us for as long as we can, so if someone shakes the can for long enough (in this case, if disappointment after disappointment keep happening) we explode. Some people get violent, others throw pity parties for WAY too long. Like many things, grace is a conscious decision. Others get angry when grace does not some to the quickly, but grace takes patience and practice. When something disappointing happens, try not to get too down on yourself. We are not saying you have to be happy if you don't get into your dream school, or smile if you do poorly in a ski race or whatever your challenges happen to be, but there are ways to deal with these situations that don't involve too many tears or emotional breakdowns. Ways to deal with these situations with GRACE. We've laid out a few steps, but please know that these are not solve-all solutions. They do help, however.
First of all, asses the situation. Let's say that you just got back results on something that you thought you would do really well on. Perhaps this is a race, or a test, or something else. Put these results in perspective. Ask yourself:
a) Did I try my best?
b) Is this a life or death situation?
If the answer to the first question is yes, then good on you. If it is no, then ask yourself why. Maybe you have a perfectly valid reason. Maybe you have had to balance too many things lately, and training for that run or studying for that test just wasn't top on your list. Besides the let down of your results, you should be proud of yourself for everything else you have going on in your life. Like someone once said, if you start a race, you are automatically ahead of the people sitting on their couches. Simply because you made the effort makes you awesome. This probably won't make you feel much better after getting the results you didn't want, but it's worth a try.
If the answer to the second question is yes, then we can't really help you with that. If you are disappointed because you just shot someone, than you should stop reading this blog and either turn your self in, or find a really good hiding spot. If the answer to this question is no, it is not life or death, think of all the blessings that you have in your life. If something terrible just happened like a death, or some serious problem, we are not trying to say this isn't important, because we understand that in this moment that whatever is causing you pain happens, one of the worst things someone can tell you is "it's not that bad" because in your life, it is. If you can, try to think happy thoughts. That's all we're saying.
After you have reflected on the situation, take deep breaths. These can be actual breaths, or just in your head. Breath in strength and courage, and breath out all of the negative emotions. What's happened has happened, and all you can do now is learn from your experience, integrate it into your life, and push forward.
Thirdly, hold your head up. You are a strong, wonderful person and you can be anything that you set your mind to. Note, we don't say you can DO anything you set your mind to, because this creates space for more let downs. You probably cannot become the fastest runner ever in the world, or the best mathematician, or even the two most world-famous bloggers (but God knows we keep trying). We aren't trying to be debbie-downers, we're just thinking realistically. But you CAN be anything you want. You can be poised, you can be inspiring, you can be mature, and you can be graceful. These are virtues which come from within. Simply make the decision, and practice, practice, practice until it becomes rooted into your soul. Nothing comes easy without practice, and changing your habits is the same way. However if you hold yourself to a standard of grace in everything you do, pretty soon you will succeed. This change of virtue and habit isn't something that you need to do for other people, but for yourself. However, once you make this mindset commitment, you will find yourself a much more relaxed and happy person who takes challenges and disappointments head on, and isn't perturbed by outside forces trying to shake your soda can until it explodes, hence making you a more likable person. If your life is a book, you are the author, and you are the only one who can make decisions on how you present yourself. Other people might offer suggestions for edits, but you have the final say.
You got this.
We hope that you stuck with us through that whole post. We know that it's long, but hopefully it was worth the read.
"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." -Denis Waitley
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
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