silver and gold

nothing can replace old friends, the ones who have known you, have seen you at your worst, and stick anyway. the ones who think you are great, even when at the height of silliness or irrationality or just plain insanity. the ones who believe you can do it, who do not misunderstand you or ascribe the worst to you. these are the ones worth working to keep, on whom it is worth spending time and emotion and self.
homesickness is bittersweet: longing, but it means at least there is something worth longing; a place of belonging and comfort and familiarity, and overarching love which makes all things beautiful.

"If you don't get what you need Something's going to break on the inside."
i was listening to this song today, and these lines caught my ear.

it's funny how when you know what you really want, nothing else quite satisfies no matter how much you try to search somewhere else. and, of course, reverting to St. Augustine: "our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in Thee." confessions is beautiful. one of my favourite things about being in literature is that you are obligated to buy or at least read all these awesome books.

one of my friends down here, also in the lit program, was telling me how she was driving back from the city and saw a sign saying "NB loop 12 merge ahead." being an academic, she naturally thought, "oh, Nota Bene". gotta love it!