Read...for fun?

Cameron Diaz is absolutely adorable. No questions about that. You know who else is adorable? Jude Law. So without questions, this translates to The Holiday being one of the best movies OF ALL TIME (not to be dramatic).

In The Holiday, after Amanda's (um REALLY lame and not nearly as hot as Jude Law) boyfriend admits to cheating on her, she has a bit of a breakdown and realizes that her life is not going as planned and that she works much too hard. In the midst of her breakdown, she shouts, "You know what I want to do? I want to eat carbs without wanting to kill myself. I want to read a book -- not a magazine, an actual book."

Oh girl, I feel ya. I haven't read a real book in...I don't know when. At least not one that I wasn't assigned to read (and I'm not going to lie...it's rare that I actually get through one of those in it's entirety). My bookshelves are lined with copies of Marie Clare, Glamour, Self, Shape, Cosmo...etc. I do own two of the Lauren Conrad "L.A. Candy" books that I had to be led into the youth section of Barnes & Noble by a judgmental employee with a ginger beard (You know what they say...people with gross facial hair should NOT throw stones. At least that's what I say, anyway) and "Freakin' Fabulous by my life coach, Clinton Kelly. Mostly I looked at the pictures in that book. But really, we've got SO much mandatory reading - scholastic articles, etc. to do for school, and so many other things to read (blogs, online magazines, etc.) that reading a book...for fun...hasn't been at the top of my list for a while.

When we were flying to Panama last Spring, I wandered around the book store in the airport. I stood in front of the shelf displaying "Eat, Pray, Love" for a long time before deciding that it was probably over-priced (as is everything for sale once you get through airport security) and that I would probably be so busy soaking up sun in Panama that I wouldn't have time to read anyways. Well, that was probably not true. But I didn't buy it. AND THEN - the movie came out. And as much as I want to see the movie, I really want to finish the book first. So a couple of weeks ago I bought it.

And today I sat down and just read for a while.

On page 45 of the book, I came across the most beautiful quote. The author, Elizabeth Gilbert, quotes Dante's Divine Comedy, where he writes that that God is "l'amor che muove il sole el'altre stelle..."

Translation: God is "the love that moves the sun and the other stars."

And then I just kind of sat for a minute. While I'm away at school, I may not get to church often and I may not find myself praying on a daily basis. But I've never lost my faith. I've seen God work in my life, and in the lives of those around me.

God has given me the most amazing support system anyone could ever ask for. I have the most perfect family (sure, we have our moments, but I would literally never change a thing). I really have no other explanation for what provided me such a blessing than divine intervention. Fate. God has also given me the most beautiful and supportive friends. Today in my Psychology of Adulthood and Aging class, we were discussing social networks and how they change and/or remain stable over time. They say that as life goes on, the "inner circle" remains about the same size, and the other relationships tend to become more distant. But this inner circle that I have - I wouldn't change it for the world. Not everyone has what I have when it comes to family and friends and I'm so lucky.

When my friends and family say that they're proud of me - I can literally see it in their eyes and I can feel it when they look at me. And the way that makes me feel - I can't explain it. Like I can actually do what I set my mind on doing.