memorializing growth

Today is the first day classes at EMU. I'm trying not to let it matter to me, but there is something final in the fact that my summer holiday continued on as normal and nothing marked the beginning of a new semester. My new adventure is beginning soon, in two days actually (you can follow my Rochester adventure here), but I am somewhat saddened that my EMU adventure is actually complete. It's not that I miss school (I'm sure that will come soon), but I miss the person I was at EMU. I miss the passion, the conviction, and the having of a goal. And I'm worried that the lessons I learned and the things that stretched me are fading away.

Something I have been reflecting on since I walked across the graduation stage four months ago is how to mark this ending. How do I represent all of what EMU was to me, all the friends and memories, the hopes and dreams? And of course I cannot represent all of it, but I don't want things to simply fade away without making the effort to memorialize them.

Thus I have been considering a physical memento -  a tattoo. In April I was asked to speak in chapel about how I had grown and changed at EMU. I chose to reflect on Micah 6:8 - "and what does the Lord require of you? to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your god."  That verse has been a touch stone for me over the past four years and something I want to take with me as I continue to grow and change now that I have left EMU.

 I am now considering embroidering the three phrases "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly" in ink on my ankle to reminder me of what I have learned and of what I want to continually commit to growing into.

And here's where I need your help. One thing I have yet to decide on is the font. A dear friend suggested that I chose to have the verse written in a familiar script, as a reminder of all the people who have meant so much to me during my time at EMU. If this verse has ever meant anything to you or you are interested in living into with me, I would love for you to collect a sample of your writing. Send a letter to me in Rochester explaining what the verse means to you, and include the words themselves in your own printing so that I can chose the hand of a friend to remind me of what I have learned and what I have yet to learn.


Comments

  1. coronaryrnAugust 27, 2013 at 11:42 PM

    What a wonderful idea Bekah! Not to mention a wonderful verse!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownAugust 28, 2013 at 8:58 AM

    http://tombasson.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_1770.jpg?w=980 :)

    ReplyDelete

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