bonding

My role will be different this year than it was last year. Because I'm an RA and not a chaplain, but also because I'm a junior. The gap widened a little bit and I feel surprisingly comfortable with being a mentor, a supporter, a friend... last year I would've wanted to be best friends with all these girls. And I think we will be good friends, but I'm actually okay with the little bit of distance that comes with more experience on my part.

Making t-shirts ended up being amazingly time consuming but totally worth it. The shirts ended up being a catalyst for participation -- we had enough girls for a team with a couple leftover to cheer. I was uuuuutterly shocked. Our unit, North Hall East 3 West, got 2nd in Lodge Ball!!! They were beasts and they got to know each other. They added each other on facebook, took pictures, and gabbed afterwards.

Tonight, I didn't see the girls at all and I was nervous that no one was going to want to make the boat. I put the cardboard out and put a sign on it that we'd make a boat at 10 pm. I didn't see any girls around, so I went downstairs and didn't come back up until 10:30, where there was a half a dozen girls sitting on the floor... just waiting... for me to tell them what to do. I almost cried. Not really. But my heart leaped about 5 feet. I showed the girls pictures of a boat that had won a couple years ago, and they set to work making something similar. I didn't even stay the whole time -- I went to Walmart (twice) for duct tape and visited the Tasty Cake at SHCE 3W. The girls took pictures, made popcorn, ate chocolate, sang songs... my heart melllllttted. I really like them. They're so open to relationships. I'm looking forward to getting to know them! I have to remember that initiating things with them is important -- that's my role right now.

They're looking forward to interacting with our brother unit. I talked several times about the great opportunities that friendships can bring in a supportive brother/sister dealio... the fact that they can automatically be friends if they accept each other for their uniqueness and, in that way, will be able to encourage one another to grow. Two of my girls went home this weekend, but they're coming back early intentionally so they don't miss our first brother/sister unit event.

Anne just put salt in a cut she has in her mouth. Because she's a crazy.

I'm sitting next to Kayla on the couch. It feels good and normal and comfy. I'm listening to Fidelity by Regina Spektor. It's one of my favorites. I like the bouncy little tune. I feel like it could be the background to my life sometimes. Not the words, the tune. Kayla's making jokes. She's being a joker. Which, I recently learned, is apparently different from being a jokeSTER. But I still love her. :)