walking to class

I am beginning to feel much more settled...soaking in the long walks to class, finding the rhythm of cooking for myself, and carving out time to spend with others.  While going on campus is still a strange affair, I've begun to remember how it always was during the first few weeks. Unknown faces abound where before there were only familiar ones.  Soon we'll all be able to recognize the freshmen and they us.  

Oxford is still wrapped around me, sometimes in very tangible ways such as when I wear my jumper, but more often in intangible ways. In the way that my heart aches when I walk into a comparatively large, impersonal class. In the way that my boot heals on the concrete makes me think of cobblestones. In the way that I keep seeing dear faces and forms only to realize that they are across the country or even the globe.

Even so, the LORD has blessed me not only with where I have been, but where I am.  A particular joy from Him is gathering flowers on the way to class. There aren't many, but they are scattered along the paths I take to campus.  Every once in a while I am able to find a bush that isn't crowded over by bees.  Sometimes I dare their annoyance anyway because of the beauty of the flowers and so far they have allowed me a few, but I have tried to respect the fact that while I enjoy them simply for their aesthetics, the bees make flowers their livelihood.  So it is with any artist I suppose...those who take what I enjoy as frivolous and make it their lives.  I feel that that is what university has taught me: to respect those whose passions differ from mine.  They bring so much beauty into my life.