Accomplishment

After all my award acceptance speech pondering this weekend some very good things happened to me. Things that made me feel about as happy as if I had one of those gold statuettes in my hand.

First, thanks to Blogger's very addictive stats counter charts, I discovered that I set a new record for page views in February - over 700 hits! This is all thanks to you, readers, and I'm about as excited as if I won the lottery. Your comments and visits really brighten this weary grad student's day. Maybe one day we'll even break 1000...

Second, I completed a marathon late night thesis writing session fueled by hummus, pita chips, and some stale Valentine marshmallow peeps. When I came up for air at 3am, I discovered that I had churned out 12 whole pages. I'm really starting to feel like a writer now. Only one more section to go, and then I'll have a decent draft to work with. Just one step closer to my graduation/thesis presentation/awards speech.

The last thing was a complete surprise, and one that testifies to the power of grace more than my own abilities. On Sunday I got a Facebook message from an college friend who had worked with me at history camp one summer. We'd exchanged a few emails since then about what we were doing after graduation, but otherwise weren't really in touch. Anyway, this lovely girl, now a wife and new mother, was writing to say that she had been received into the Catholic Church, making her Confirmation and First Communion this past weekend. She was thanking all the people who had helped her along her journey and shared their faith with her.
I can't remember the last time I was so touched by an email. I'm so happy for my friend, and happy that for at least once in my life I helped bring someone closer to God. So often I wonder if I am witnessing to my faith as well as I could, if my dual existence in Catholicism and academia is even possible. That note was a reminder that it's all in God's hands, even the results of a few conversations in a humid undergrad dorm one Williamsburg summer.

Oh, speaking of Williamsburg, I'm going there tomorrow! My class is going to visit the trade shops and attempt to imitate the accomplishments of pre-industrial craftsmen like these guys. From what I have seen of my carpentry skills, the results will not be so award-winning.