Bucket List

Do you have a Bucket List? I've thought about cool things I've wanted to do, like sky-diving and such. But I've never actually written a list. Here are some things I want to do in my life. Some of them, like sky-diving, are the predictable ones, some might suprise you:) These are in no particular order, by the way.

In addition to sky-diving, which I'm probably too scared to do anyway, I want to go cliff-diving, preferably in a European country like Greece or something.

I want to save someone's life!!! And of course tell the story a gazzilion times:) And hopefully being a nurse will help me fulfill this goal.

I want to snorkel on a coral reef. While I'm afraid I'd be killed by a shark, it would be totally worth it if I survived.

I want to sing the national anthem before a huge sports event, maybe the super bowl? I think yes!

I so badly want to be an actress!!! Even if it's just small parts in a few movies, I don't care. Or maybe a big show on Broadway. Or be in a music video. I just really want to act, and not just high school or college theater.

I want to be a fantastic mom. Growing up, practically everyone I know has told me I would make a great mom. So of course, I must live up to their expectations:) I want to be the cool mom that plans crafts when friends are over and loves Friday night game night and reads bedtime stories.

This would be very time consuming and probably addicting, but I think it'd be cool to be a youtuber. Instead of typing a blog, I could have a vlog. Ooo, sounds sweet, right? It would take a lot of creative juices, but it would still be really cool:)

Even though I've already done this, I'd like to go to Canada again and visit Banff and Jasper National Parks. The mountains up there were the most beautiful I've ever seen! I'd love to go hiking there again:)

Speaking of travel, EUROPE HERE I COME!!!!! Well, some day. I love experiencing different culture and surroundings. A trip around Europe would be incredible.

I'd also like to work as a nurse in a Central American country for a while. I hope to someday be fluent in Spanish so I can do this:) Or it would be awesome to be part of some sort of disaster response team.

I want to get published. I have no clue what I'll write, but it'd be awesome to look at a book or something and be like "wow, I wrote that. and thousands of people (hopefully) are reading it!"

I want to host an awards show. Not sure which one, but to be able to write jokes and speeches for it would be quite entertaining.

I want to meet the President! Even though I may not agree with him on everything, I'd enjoy meeting him. Or the next President.....or the next.....:) Wonder if they're searching for a White House nurse???

I can't think of anymore goals right now, except change the world in some way, but that's pretty generic. If I think of a lot more, I might have to make a bucket list #2, but for now, that's all I got!

Sharing in Success

I love seeing people succeed. Especially when I was one of the people that helped them.

Just this morning two of my friends from nurse's aid class took their test to officially become a CNA (Certified Nurse's Assistant). One was extremely nervous. The other? Confident. Almost cocky.

But both of them sought advice and answers from me because I took the test last month. I hoped and even prayed that my answers helped calm them down and bring them another step toward feeling prepared. After many texts and a few calls, today arrived. And with it, success for both of my friends. I literally jumped for joy after recieving each of the two texts that both exhibited the simple message: I passed.

At first, I didn't know why I was so excited for them. But then I realized it was because I was part of their journey to this day. I was their classmate, companion, and eventually, advisor(in terms of test prep). I think that's why I felt so proud of them. It's like we were all in a race. I finished first (which, in a real race, would never happen! but stick with me), and then I ran back to encourage them and even run with them for a bit. Now just look at this image in terms of a class, and you totally understand what I'm saying.

We've all experienced this in a variety of areas.

A dad cheering at his son's baseball game because he's been training him and playing catch in the yard for over twelve years.

A choir teacher clapping at a student's recital because she trained this student and taught her everything she knows.

I could go on, but you see my point. It sounds cliche, but it really does feel great to help someone succeed.

I love when my brother Caleb asks me for advice. I remember car rides to school (during his freshmen year of high school, by the way) and all the questions he would throw at me. And listening to him reminded me of how I was at that stage. I was full of questions too! And I realized that I was thankful for the people that answered my questions, which encouraged me to answer his.

When your loved ones succeed, it's a personal success as well because we get so proud of the ones we care for. I hope I get to help even more people in the future:)

Childhood Frustration

NOTE: this is another post that was written a few months ago. it was difficult to share it with the people in my composition class, so as you can guess it's difficult to share it now

I'm going to warn you right now that this ning is on a topic that is emotionally frustrating for me. It's about grandparents and just how frustrating it is to not have them.

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, and I hate when I hear stories about them. Not because I don't care, I do care! I get so angry when Mom says, "Grandpa Bergsma would have loved your sense of humor," or when Dad says, "It's too bad you kids didn't know your Grandpa and Grandma Zuidema better." Truth is, though, I did know my Grandma Zuidema, but only until the end of fourth grade. She had a stroke when I was really little, so my dad would have to tell us what she was saying because the rest of us didn't know. I never actually knew her because we only saw her once or twice a year, and she was always in a fancy, cold, super-clean nursing home. She was a relative, but I never had a relationship with her.

Now this is the part of my ning post that might piss me off a little. I do have one grandma that is still alive, my Grandma Bergsma. She is about 80 years old, and we only see her once or twice a year. No one in my family likes her and has a relationship with her except my mom. Ever since Grandpa Burgsma died, Grandma has hated men. And this may seem like an exaggeration, but it truly isn't! This Grandma does not try to get to know us kids at all, and in return, we don't try to know her either. It simply consists of giving a Merry Christmas hug and calling to thank her for birthday money. That's it.

Want to know the most torture-filled day at DMC? You've probably guessed it: Grandparents Day. I hated it. It seemed like every other kid had grandparents there. And not grandparents that didn't care about them. These were grandparents that loved their grandchildren and knew more than just their name and age. I was always jealous of these kids. Of course, I could borrow people to act as my grandparents, but that just wasn't the same. No offense to Mrs. Funderburg, Mrs. Huisman, or April's grandparents, you are all awesome people, but you aren't my grandparents.

As this ning is growing incredibly lengthy, I shall conclude. I have no grandparents. Sure, one of them is still alive, but I have no relationship with her. It really irks me when Mom says "Grandpa Bergsma would really enjoy watching the Three Stooges with you kids! He'd get such a kick out of it." Grandparents Day is the worst day in the world, and those of you with loving, caring grandparents are truly lucky. Hold close to those relationships because to miss out on that opportunity can literally bring you to tears, and I know from experience. Trust me when I say that you are truly lucky. Don't let that go to waste!

Poem time!!!

I found this poem in my closet and thought I'd share it will you. I don't know when I wrote it, but I believe the message is a great reminder. It's more of a free verse poem. Enjoy!

Life is like a garden

Many different shapes and colors

Blooming everywhere

We don't know which flower
   we will recieve: which life

Will be picked for us from
   the garden

It seems random to us, but not
   to the Gardener

He planted those lives

Added water adn fertilized them

He knew what would happen

How the lives would grow

Whether they would flourish
   or whither.

The Gardener has a plan
   that we cannot understand

I love love:)

This past weekend, I watched my absolutely most favoritest movie of all time!!! Can you guess what it is? Pride and Prejudice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, ok, I'll calm down now. Maybe:)
BUT I CAN'T!!!!!!
It's got everything a great movie needs.
First, great actors. The people picked for each character seem to fit it perfectly. I just love it so much!!!
Second, the plot. I love how the main story line is surrounded and supported by a lot of smaller, but equally significant happenings. How the other sisters and the friend get married and that keeps affecting Liz's opinion of Mr. Darcy.
And that's another thing: Mr. Darcy!!! The first time I watched the movie, I was like 'this better not be the main guy, cuz he's not that attractive.' But at the end I was, of course, begging God to send me my own Mr. Darcy!!!
Every time I watch this movie I say over and over 'I love this movie, I love this movie, I love this movie!!!"
It justs pulls on the heart strings, ya know? And I know that's cliche but it's totally true!!!
I watched it with my dad, and he kept telling me that him, my future boyfriend/fiance, and I have to watch the movie together before I get married.
Ok, ok, and third! It's just a classic. If you haven't seen this movie, you really really have to!!! It's such a beautiful story that makes you believe that there's hope in the world:)

Writer's Block

"Hi, my name is Mikayla. And I suffer from Writer's Block."
"Hi, Mikayla."
...........
"And how does this disease make you feel?"
"Umm..."
"It's okay, you can share. Here, we encourage openess with our feelings."
"Okay? Well, I feel pretty helpless right now. Umm, I just don't feel like I know how to handle all this pressure! And I guess that's why I'm here."
"Yes. Yes, we all know the feeling. Greg, how do you feel about your "problem"?"
"Umm, I uh, yeah. Well....I don't appreciate the fact that my enormous brain can't think of a stupid, random topic to write about!!! I HATE IT. I JUST PLAIN HATE IT!!!! WHY CAN'T I THINK??? WHY WON'T MY STUPIDLY HUGE BRAIN WORK!?!?!?
"Well done, Gregory. I'm pleased that you have learned to channel your anger into one beautifully organized vent."
"I have something to say."
"Yes, go ahead. Express your inner turmoil."
"Uh, yeah. Turmoil. Um, I was just thinking. Why not instead of venting about our lame "writer's block"--
"Oh no, Mikayla. We use the term "disease.""
"Whatever. Why not instead of venting, we help each other think of writing topics so we don't suffer any more from this..."disease.""
"Oh, what a wonderful idea! How about we all head outside, find a tree to climb, and then meditate and ponder the world around us. Then we will be able to think of writing ideas for each other!"

And that's how we solve writer's block.....Or we could just circle up and sing kumbaya!!! :)

Competition......in our insane world!

Competition.

Think about how impactful this word is in your life.

Whether it's being the best drawer (not the furniture kind) in 2nd grade. Being the coolest in jr. high and high school. Doing the best in college. Or landing the best job.

I'm all for being a competitor against ourselves. Beating the clock. Reaching past your goals. Breaking a personal record. That sort of thing.

And I think competitions in sports or clubs is awesome! I mean, imagine a world without sports? Or games? Or anything competitive??? Yeah, that would get kind of boring. Sometimes it's fun to have a competition and find out who's best:)

But then I think about the way that society has taken competition to a whole new extreme. What type of shows do you watch? Personally, I could watch anything because I'm just going to forget soon after, but do you think about what you watch....as you watch it? If you do, you discover odd things. Like how truly messed up people are!!!!! Sorry, but it's true....

Some competitive shows are hilarious, like Wipeout:) Until your mom walks in and says she hates this show because people could get "seriously injured." Typical nurse for ya....oh wait...THAT'S ME IN FOUR YEARS!!!!!!! Well, we'll worry about that later.

And shows like Wheel of Fortune, the Price is Right, and random game shows like that are pretty cool. But some competitive shows just really irk me. Take the Bachelor as an example. I'm not watching this season, but I'm guessing it's just as dramatic, stupid, and tear-filled as all the rest. Oh wait, it can't be because it's the Bachelorette(spelling?) not the Bachelor.....Whatever, it's still stupid. Why would you create a competitive show about  a bunch people competing for the love of one person. I don't get it.....even if it is entertaining!

And then I think about the competition in my life. I'm not usually pressured into being "cool" or "popular," even though I am incredibly enjoyable as I am:) I'm more of a "compete against myself" kind of person.

But really, consider the work world. And prepare yourself for a total nerd moment! In history class, we read portions from a book called the World is Flat. The author's main point, if it can be summed up, is that competition has gone from country verse country to company verse company to individual verse individual. And this isn't just a "yeah, whatever" fact. It means that more people are equipped to compete against even more people for jobs and opportunities. Some American jobs can easily be shipped to other countries because it will be less expensive to pay workers in say Asia than America(what greedy Americans we are...) So basically, the upcoming generation could possibly struggly even more in their job searches than we have now, depending the area of work. Great...

Wow! I apologize. This blog is getting incredibly lengthy. I guess this is one of those "reflect on the good and bad of something" blog posts. Competition is awesome in that it encourages people to strive toward a goal or achieve some sort of "better status." Although it can go off the deep end when people on drugs decide to create weird game shows......Okay, not the best conclusion to this blog, but you know what I'm trying to say! Unless....you don't know me. Which I don't think most of you do! Let's just say, I found out that one or more of you live in Germany........I don't know anyone in Germany.....this just got slighty awkward. I need to stop rambling!!! Good night, all:)

PS- just thought of this, but did anyone else hear that incredibly stupid answer Miss Utah gave during the Miss America pagent? Wow.....what a world. That's another competition that gets on my nerves.

Fuzzball:)

If I had to describe my dad in one word, it would have to be the word honest. This is something he's stressed since my siblings and I were little (especially with me because I went through quite a lengthy lying (lieing?) phase).

If I have a question about anything, and I mean ANYTHING, my dad will give me some sort of answer. Sometimes I want a better answer than what he's giving, but hey, at least he answers me. Although those answers tend to come in the form of a sermon, but hey, he's a pastor so we kind of expect it.

I like people who cut to the chase and say what needs to be said. My dad is that type of person, and so am I. It's scary how much we're alike! One morning, I was sitting in our living room rocking chair eating cereal. Danielle came in, looked at me, and said: "You have no idea how much you look like Dad right now!" I shook it off, but when I think about it, it's totally true! I may look just like my mom, but in terms of personality, I act just like my dad.

You know the phrase "opposites attract?" Well, I think they should add to that phrase a part about people who are similar and that they butt heads all the time. Like "opposites attract, but similars butt heads". Okay, that didn't really cut the mustard, but you know what I mean!

Arguing with my dad is impossible. First off, we both know each other's weaknesses and how to throw them in each other's face. Second, we both love adding snide comments wherever possible. Third, we are both terribly, almost brutally honest. We need to learn how to think before we speak!

One pet peeve I have about my dad is that I get in trouble for things that HE DOES TOO!!! It drives me nuts...."Mikayla, don't interrupt people." And then he goes and interrupts someone! *Sigh* parents....

With all that said, I do love my dad. He's one of the best role models I have in my life, and I'm incredibly thankful for him! Happy Father's Day, Dad. Enjoy it and all the rest to come:)

Mi Familia Bonita

This evening was one of those fun/not fun times. Long story short, we all went to the dentist and then out to dinner.

Now, our whole family in one car is a very risky thing. A fight could break out at any second! I'm sure you think it's like that with your family too, but let me tell you, my family's just as bad. There was even fighting in Applebee's during dinner because us Zuidema kids always overreact.

That was the first problem. The second was the dentist. Sure, it feels great to get your teeth cleaned, but I hate those pokey stabby things they jab at your gums with. You want me to do that to you miss dentist lady? Didn't think so. I also don't enjoy hearing that I have a small cavity that needs to get filled. Why? I brush my teeth and floss and use mouthwash. This is annoying...

But that trip to Merrillville (I have no clue if I spelled that right!) wasn't all bad. As a family we went to dinner and had a chance just to chill together. I feel like I haven't seen my family in forever! What with all our crazy work schedules and meetings and such. I don't remember our last family dinner because it was probably cut short by a phone call or meeting or something that prevented us from having a calm bonding time.

Isn't summer supposed to be less busy than the school year? I only have a month or so to spend time with my family before college steals me from their presence!!! Great, now I'm scaring myself...

I always do that. I think too much, and I freak myself out. I don't want to leave my family! And yet I do....hmmmm.....interesting................

"Temporary" Addictions

We all go through phases. Some are super weird like being addicted to pickles or something, while some are good phases like running every day. While my current phases, addictions, whatever you want to call them may not be super great, I'm still working on the good habits. Running, for example.

Since starting my job at Oak Grove, I get excited about new scrubs. I haven't had the chance to head to WalMart or anything, but it's so much fun to look at new prints and colors and such. I don't shop a lot or spend much money, but scrubs are my shopping addiction. I love getting compliments like "I love your scrubs top!" It just gives me such a rush. Hehe, "performing live gives me such a rush":) Movie quote! Where's it from?

My next addiction, which hopefully is a phase, is looking for free samples. I found this website that connects you to other websites that let you sign up for free samples. Anything from shampoo, dish scrubby things, or good deals on father's day gifts (which is how I scored the awesome gift I got my dad this year!). It's not like I spend hours on the internet, searching for deals, but sometimes my mind creates scenarios that involve me getting murdered because I'm giving so many companies my address. (And my email. Holy cow! They never stop!!!)

These are too addictions I have right now. Not much else. Besides blogging.....working.....sleeping.....eating. Ya know, the whole nine yards:)

Note to self: this wasn't a very great blog post. maybe think of something better next time?

Note to note to self: sorry self. i just kinda felt like writing about this.....peace out!

When she breathed her last...

Death is a deep concept. It boggles my mind how a breathing, living body can, in a fraction of a second, have no life at all. No blood flowing, no breath. Maybe it's one of those things God doesn't let us understand.

The reason I am writing about death is because yesterday, I was in the room when a woman passed. I was there when she took her last breath! I didn't know this woman, so I didn't cry but it felt strangely eery. She was alive one second ago, and now she's not? Her family was just here, crying because she wasn't doing well. And now, after they've left, she breathed her last, and hopefully her soul went to heaven.

Life is so fragile. I've been told this countless times, and now I've witnessed a lot of it at the nursing home I work at. However, it's not just the elderly who die. I'll admit, I can be a terrible driver at times. And there have been instinces where I could have lost my life because of a simple mistake.

That's a scary thought! I could die at ANY MOMENT. Wow. There's power in those words! But I'm so so glad that I have hope. A hope and a future that God has mapped out for me. Not just here on earth, but also an eternal future in heaven. Amen:)

FAIL

While I'd like to say I'm some awesome super hero that saves everyone's day every day, I can't. Sadly, I have many downfalls, bad habits, and set backs.

The first one that comes to mind when I think of things I fail at is cleaning my room. I have cleaned in tonight, but if you came in before, you would be grossed out! I had clothes (clean and dirty) all over the floor, with paths mapped out to my bed, alarm clock, dresser, and door. It's kind of sad, and my furniture could definitely use some dusting. I was cleaning it earlier, and I got to the point of dusting and vacuuming, but I couldn't because Danielle was asleep. So there my room sits: picked up, but not truly clean. And even after it's all clean and pretty, the next time I do laundry, it'll just get dirty all over again.....

Another fail of mine is sports. I tried playing soccer this past fall, and it was fun! But I really stunk at it. Good thing I had a positive attitude, otherwise I would've beat myself up at every practice or game. I remember in sixth grade I played basketball. I touched the ball probably about five times in a game (no joke) and only shot once. Which, might I add, was an almost swooshed three pointer! Wish I had made it. That would have been sweet! I also tried track. That was another fail. I threw shotput and discus. People thought I was strong and would be good at both, but I only broke twenty feet once in practice with shotput, and my hands were too small to be any good at discus (plus I was scared of throwing the wrong way and killing someone). Oh jr. high, I will never miss you!

Sometimes I'm not very good at being polite. I'm one of those people who blurts out whatever I'm thinking! Which is really tough to reign in (reighn? I don't know, I hate spelling). I have to learn to smile and be more polite. I have this gut feeling that I'm going to get in huge trouble someday because of this bad habit.

I don't do well with change. Some change I like, such as redecorating or changing my hair color, or going to college (at least I hope I like it!). But if we change something up in regards to family routine or something, I go crazy! Or if a cool family tradition gets broken for some reason, it really bothers me. Change can be good, but if it causes stress, I don't enjoy it.

Studying is another fail for me. Other kids are like "yeah, I studied for a good three hours!", and I'm like "I read the notes once....it took about half an hour....yeah...." I don't how I passed high school. I have such bad studying habits that they could be considered non-study habits. BRING IT COLLEGE!!! Yeah, I'm gonna die....

I'm terrible at giving gifts. Well, I used to be, I've gotten a little better! A little....
I went through this stage(and I think I'm still in it) where I thought homemade gifts were the coolest thing. Yeah, that really only works for my mom. But I'm getting better, I promise!!!

I could go into how I fail at physics or writing neatly or something, but I've think I've conjured up a good solid list for ya!