I arrived in Texas two days ago for Phi Mus IMPACT. I was not expecting to experience any of the emotions that I have the past few days. Not only am I learning how to be a better leader but I'm learning how to be a better servant. I am learning something new in every person that I meet. I have done leadership programs before and I have always learned something but here it's different. Being able to talk about Phi Mu, something that is such a huge part of me, with 120 other girls who hold the position of president just like me from across the country is not only inspiring, but comforting.
Now that my first semester as president is over, I can whole-heartedly say that it has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I'd be lying to say there weren't any times when I didn't think that I could go another day with this title. But because I do have those days I am able to appreciate the ones where I am tearing up because I am so proud of my chapter. I love this job and my chapter with every part of me. Yes, sometimes I want to pull my hair out. But the times when I get goose bumps because of our ritual, the times I'm laughing uncontrollable with 170 other girls, the times im cheering on our flag football team during Greek week, the times we are all simply just being in fellowship with one another all outweigh the times that I want to scream and they make every single second absolutely worth it. Everyone needs a simple reminder sometimes and that is what the past few weeks have done for me. It's reminded me of the reason why I joined this amazing organization and more recently why I took on the risk to lead this chapter. These girls took a chance on me and I can't let them down. I have been reminded that not only am I here to leave it better than what I found it, but I am here to serve them with every ounce of my heart and my being.
And let's just talk about how I am in Texas on the 4th of July. How cool is that? Ill be honest and say that I felt like a classy redneck tonight on the ranch watching the rodeo and line dancing but of course I loved each and every second of it.
Now that IMPACT is over and convention is beginning, I can already tell that I'm going to leave here changed. It sounds so corny, I know it does. But I don't care! Tomorrow morning we will have initiation and a memorial service to honor the ones we have lost this past year. And after that, Convention will continue until Saturday night. The best part about this entire experience is that I am meeting so many wonderful people. The fact that they are Phi Mu's does make them automatically sort of wonderful but that may be because I'm a tad bit biased. I have been trying my hardest to take in a little bit of everyone to get an idea of what this organization looks like all across the country. I wish you all could be here to see what I see because I what I see is humbling and sincere. To be honest, what I am seeing is a little but of Jesus in each of these girls and a lot of Him in this experience and fraternity as a whole. Our values and ideals, along with our creed and ritual really do mean so much more when you see it through the eyes of its true maker and the reason we are all apart of this amazing organization. We are based on Christian values and being stuck in a college town, those values can sometimes be seen few and far between. But looking at it outside the normal collegian view and as something that is lifelong and so much bigger than we realize, those values seem so much larger.
I am banking on a wonderful next couple of days and another amazing week next week in Alaska. I'm on a roll y'all. Traveling the USA like a champ and loving it.
