It's hot. And I am lucky.

I am sitting here dying of heat.

No, I am not outside…I am on the third floor of my lovely sorority house laying on my futon. It is stifling. The fact that I have three fans pointed at me makes no difference because they honestly just stir up the extremely humid and hot air. Perfect.

I have been here for a month in this weather and yet I am still complaining. Here’s why:

I was WAY too lucky as a kid.

My dad must have been right (oh gosh, that hurts to say) when he reassured me daily of how lucky I was to have all that my life included. Well, you’re right, Pops.

Until I left the place I’d lived all my life, I was completely ignorant of how unbelievably privileged I was growing up. And truly, how lucky I still am.

My life included new clothes, vacations, a 100-year-old air-conditioned home, two cats, another air-conditioned home, a dog, two healthy younger siblings, two varsity teams, a Morton building with a basketball court and TV room, an entire town supporting me, refrigerators stocked full of food, 24/7 access to homemade onion rings, five living grandparents, a car with my gas paid for, a beautiful lake home, DVR, and ohhhh soooo much more.

BUT, until I officially left all of that glory and arrived in Ames, I was so naïve about the lifestyle I was fortunate enough to grow up in.

So, let me just sincerely say,

Thank you.

Thank you Mom and Dad for all that you do and all that you’ve done for me.

And thank you to all those who are there for me now and who have been there all along. I feel so lucky to have each and every one of you in my life.  ♥