My winter wonderland

On a scale of 1-10, this day gets a 7 for productivity. I attempted to wash out of my life -at least out of my room - all the possessions that are unnecessary to me and my cares. The process was quite depressing, to tell you the truth. Just to think how, all my life, i've been bogged down by this 'stuff' that really got me nowhere except to appreciate the true worth of the simple lifestyle. When i was younger, i thought my coolness factor pivoted upon my possession of material goods and trinkets-the small to large 'look at it and grin' items that sooner than later live out their purpose. I am not a better person for having assumed responsibility over so many objects. But hindsight is 20/20 indeed, for now i wish i could have all those efforts back and spend them now in the one responsibility of taking care of a person and people. In my lowest moments of reflection today, i counted a lot of what i had as loss for the sake what i know now. I listened to an echo of these thoughts in a Rascal Flatts song, "...I think about the time i lost just passing through/ I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you." Applicable to both God and the one he's chosen for me, ''you" is on my mind as i cried in regret of so much wasted time and energy.
Now, after about seven hours of work, my room feels purified. Stepping into my room tonight is like walking into a tranquil haven. I strung lights on one wall, and they alone softly illuminate the wooden floor and beige walls. The cleaning job yielded peaceable fruit.
DInner tonight was a three-way effort that turned out delightfully. Dad brought home Chinese fried rice from Ming's Wok, mom cooked vegetables, and i floured and fried some Alaskan salmon. Together, the rice, vegetables and salmon with a little barbecue sauce mixed in made a culinary masterpiece.
I get to tutor math again tonight starting at 9, and i need to practice my violin too, so that will be fun as i wind down from an emotionally trying day. Oh, i looked through college papers and projects too and what my teachers wrote on them, and that provided some encouragement. My english teacher wrote on a set of reading journals i wrote, "Jonathan--you write so beautifully; sometimes it makes me ache!" That makes me smile.