Smile, I know that You're working so I smile...

I had a really frustrating day at work and I'm still

worn out and tired, as well as being frustrated with a 

few other things. You would think that means I had 

an awful day. The strange thing is..I didn't!

Nothing great happened, I haven't had any

good news that has made me forget about anything

going on. Working out did make me happy,but

at the same time I was only able to complete about

20 minutes before deciding it was best to call it a day on

the working out {Due to still being sick} 

And yet I was still able to smile and laugh all day

and today most things were actually able to roll 

off my back! 

The only answer for that is Father! :) 

#ItsTheLittleThings!

How do you say "throw up" again?

I was up late talking to a couple friends online, and both had just said that 

I really should log off and call it a night, when there was a rather creepy knock

at my door. In Chinese, I called out to ask who it was and only heard a raspy noise as a reply.

Going to the door, I said it again, with the same response, only this time in amidst the

weak raspy voice I heard my name. 

Can you say SPOOKY?! I can! And I did! I nearly didn't open the door!

Pretending more bravery than I felt at 2 in the morning, I opened the door only to be met

by the slumped over form of a new arrival. She has only been

at our school for about a weeks time, and it was evident

she was not doing well. I was the only one she knew, so she came across

the hall to tell me she was extremely sick and had been for hours. 

"I need to go to the hospital and I have to have a Chinese speaker with me. 

Earlier today when I told a new friend that I was sick, she said 

it wouldn't be possible for me to go by myself." She explained. 

Even at this early hour, it became quickly apparent that she was under

the misguided understanding that *I* could be that person. 

Reaching for my cell phone, I told her to head back to her room and I would 

call my boss to see about getting help sent to us.

Though I myself would probably have 'toughed it out' and

not wanted to go to the hospital/clinic at 2 in the morning

she was insistent that I get her to some sort of Emergency care. 

My boss' phone said it was busy, nor did she answer her text messages, so I 

grabbed a hoodie and went to get the front door opened. 

Our first stop was the clinic on campus. When I had walked all through that place looking for help

I resorted to calling the teacher in charge of student affairs. {This student does not fall

under his care, for all I can tell, it is my office' responsibility.} He told me

to call look for a number posted around there somewhere to call the

nurse. {I love the confidence of those around me in my speaking

ability at 2 am! Often I am not making full sense in English at such an hour

let along a language in which I am still in deep study!} 

The nurse told me that there was no one there that would

be able to help her and if she really needed attention, then we would

need to get a taxi at the front gate and go downtown to the hospital. 

And so off we were. Two pajama clad ladies walking down the PITCH BLACK streets of

the SIAS campus. Through my own fear and trepidation I had to laugh. This feeling

of joy in midst of trial stuck with me for the entire ordeal to be honest!

We got a taxi, the driver of which was very confused as to why we would want

to go to the hospital at such an hour as his fee would be double the days price. {"During the day you can go there for 5RMB, it is going to be 10RMB at this time of night, You sure you don't want to wait a few hours?" he asked me} 

He chatted with me the entire trip, and inquired as to how we expected to be able 

to cope at the hospital with no translator! I will admit that at first his desire

to keep a running conversation with me was a bit annoying, but I was later very thankful

as it seemed to help get my mind in the right setting to be talking in so much Chinese. 

Talking about silly things like where I was from, the fact that I was 

a student not a teacher, that I was in fact 31 and yes still only a student 

{we arrived before he had a chance to ask if I was single}

all of these little things and the banter that I held with him, served to put me at a bit

more ease though at first I was tensed by it. 

We arrived at the hospital and the driver told me which door to 

take her into. They knew, at first sight, we must be from SIAS and also seemed to

be a bit taken aback that we were not accompanied by an actual Chinese speaker. 

I explained to them that I was in fact that one on this trip meant to be the go between. 

And so it began.

Thankfully their triage and admittance  system is very different

than that which I am use to in my homeland, as I have no idea how to translate

most of what would be needed had we been in America! 

In reality I only needed to provide them with her name and age,

I tried to tell them where she is from but I don't know how to say 

Jamaica in Chinese, and since I was being listed as the contact info,

they just put my phone number and nationality down. 

They showed me to the room where R {The patient} could lie down, and 

then proceeded to explain procedure to me. The doc had already been in and 

didn't examine her in the least, but listened to my explanation of the symptoms 

and saw that she was in distress, so he wrote up a mile long list of meds. 

His expression told me that while he was not exactly put out by

our being there at such an hour, he wasn't very worried and seemed

to think this was the normal travelers gut. {R mused later that she was

worried she had one of the horrible cases that use all the numbers and

letters as their names....I don't want to type it. But anyway. She was convinced she 

was dying, and that had she not come to get me, we would have found her lifeless

body this morning. You may be able to tell from my speech that I myself

am under no such conviction, but I do understand her fears given the situation.} 

Once she was settled into the room, they gave me 

her new 'hospital card' with strong, specific instructions NOT to lose it, 

as this would be needed should she ever need to return.

My task was now to go across the parking lot to the main portion of the

out patient building to pay the fees and get her meds. 

Both at the cashier and pharmacy, they were able to scan that card

and up popped R's new patient record. 

They gave me two bags full of tiny glass vials, IV bottles,

powders and pills, before I returned to the nurses with my loot. 

They mixed all the different glass vials and loaded up needles and

the IV bottles {It wasn't the IV bags I am use to in the States, these are 

a bit different, some being made of glass while others are plastic.} 

{We were not the only ones there at such an insane hour of the day!}

R was very afraid of needled and was not liking the idea of them 

trying to get an IV into the back of her hand, as she said that in every 

other hospital she has ever been to they are unable to find the veins there. She had me translate

that they should put it in the crook of her elbow, near the top, in the only visible vein. 

Our younger nurse left the room for a moment and returned with her colleague. I again

explained the situation, both of her fear of needles and her insistence that they would be unable

to stick her hand. She sweetly said she would use the tiniest needle possible, and then

very plainly  told me that she would in fact me able to get it in the hand,

and not to worry. She had R hold her hand in a certain manner, and seconds later was setting the drip to the now inserted IV, much to the surprise of the patient who was still

not sure that it had even been accomplished!

{No one has EVER gotten it, she said more than once} 

'We have a different approach to things like this than other countries!" 

The nurse told me. 

"We treat blood in a different manner." 

It was then time to settle in and wait for the first bottle to empty, 

as I would then need to go inform them it needed to be changed. 

After a little while, I was feeling very parched, and R was needing something to 

at least wet her lips as she had not been able to eat nor drink since sometime in the afternoon

the day before. 

The first time I went out to look, I returned unsuccessful. 

However, there was a kind local fellow there who urged me that if I just

walked a little further, I was sure to find some store open at 4:30 in the morning

where I could obtain a bottle of water. 

And so, after another IV bottle change, I once again set off in search 

of the refreshments. I had to laugh {Out loud no less!} 

at the sight I must have made!

"What would my Dad think of this?" I actual said out loud.

"I am out wondering around the streets of a Chinese city in my pajamas at 4:30 in the morning."

When I did find a small shop open, as you may be able to imagine,

I caused a bit of a scene! 

Though they did not know I could understand what they were saying,

the local men who were out playing a game on the street were all

very astonished at this disheveled pale foreign girl walking past. 

Two of them followed me into the store and stood staring at me, 

moving to the end of each aisle as I looked for something to eat should 

I need it later. They pondered out loud if I would even be able

to understand how much the items cost, and marveled when I 

spoke up that I didn't want a plastic bag since I could just put it in my large

purse. 

I'm really not sure what this contraption is, here on the left, but I have a feeling I actually don't want to know!






I was very thankful that I had made the choice to wear my new long but thin lounge pants to bed! I was kept comfy and decent during our hospital stay!

R was finished with her final IV bottle and released at about 6am.

We left in search of a return taxi, but stopped first to get some cleaning 

supplies for the room back on campus that had served as her sick room before 

coming to get me! The shop keeper was in about as much awe of the two of us as 

the men had been hours earlier. Only he was more vocal about things. 

He said he knew I was of course from SIAS, but was surprised to learn

I was a student and not a teacher. 

He ended the conversation with the usual:

"You are really fat!" 

I told R as we left "You have now conquered a Chinese hospital experience! 

What can't you do now!"

In some ways I felt this exact way about myself. 

I was thinking about how I wanted to write up this adventure 

and I really didn't want it to sound like a boast piece about me and my 'skills'

with the language and all. 

Instead, here are some of the things that I took out of this

1.I was so thankful that I was up at 2 in the morning talking to my friends,

as I know I would never have heard her knock had I been asleep!

2. It was amazing how even in things as tiny as what I chose to wear to bed

was a set up for what was to come! When I left my room, I had no idea

that I would be wondering the streets hours later, in search of water. But instead of my
normal apparel, I had worn things a bit more fitting for a late night stroll and ER waiting.

3. She needed someone that was able to take a moment with her

to talk to Father before the needles and meds began. Had the 

teacher I got a hold of been the one to go with her,he would not have done that.

4. Aside from a little bit of uneasiness at the stares and presence of the men in the store, 

I was perfectly comfortable in my surroundings! I KNEW I was at home 

helping someone from another country get use to my area. 

5. I had actual conversation with the nurses as we waited for the IV's to need changing. Not just
the little where are you from, how old are you, but actual conversations. I need these so! 

6. If I can get through this here, I think I am ready to help my brother when he 

goes through a similar experience in the future!

7. I have been battling illness ever since the APU students left. I think

I ran myself down during their visit so I was easily able to catch the

cold that is going around. It was in my head first and then moved to my chest. Two nights 

ago I was having a hard time sleeping due to feeling like my lungs were going to exhume themselves during one of  the many coughing fits. Yet this morning I had very little coughing!

We got back at about  6:30, and I helped her

clean her bathroom first, then hopped in the shower

before heading to get some breakfast. I got to sit in the dark classroom 

a for a little while before anyone else arrived.

Not really sure how much I got out of my classes today! haha!

I was there though, that was the important part to me! 

I have not missed a single class this semester for any 

reason and I want to end with that perfect attendance.
{I am a tad worried that this is a bad pride issue!}

It was rough getting through my classes! The tiredness was expected

but the dizziness, nausea, and body aches weren't! 

My boss had seen my text messages before class and

had told me I could take the day off from work, 

so I went right up to my room at 11:40 and 

almost literately passed out in my bed. 

I stayed in that state until about 4:30-5. 

My day was then made again when I was able to get

Skype to work in calling a land line, so I could call and surprise my Dad

at work for his birthday! 

#ItsTheLittleThings 

{and sometimes the scary things!} 

Uh oh! They saw me!

I just found out that two of my teachers talk about me when I am not around! 

*Gasp*

Now, I do wish it was for a better reason, but it was still pretty sweet none the less.

Two of the teachers I am the closest to have noticed

that my 可乐 {pop} intake has increased!

LOL! BUSTED!

I was just talking to one of them and she said
"We were talking about how much pop you drink! You seem to

be drinking it all the time! Its not good for you!" 

She was sincerely worried!

Now, again, I would rather be spoken of for a different reason

other than my bad diet habits, but it is nice to know that they

see whats going on in the lives of their students, take note and

worry about it for them. {I thought about saying,

'Cola has never once made me late for class....

the other students drink way more beer than I do Coke!' but I didn't}

I told her that I too had noticed that I had picked up this bad habit the last couple of weeks

and had plans to pull way back. {She suggested I just quit..not pull back or little by little slow down!}

Honestly now, its not like it is out of control or anything,

and I still drink a ton of lemonade, tea, coffee, and water!

But recently with being so busy I have been more and more sleepy during class. 

I was grabbing a cold coke or orange soda in the break of my

morning class, and it seems it was noted! :) 

I was thankful that I was holding an iced black tea at the time that she 

mentioned it and not a pop! haha! 

#ItsTheLittleThings

That aw moment was followed by a second

one when the same teacher asked if, after the exams

are done, I would teach her how to make something

that I brought to share with the class once. 

Chocolate chip cookies! 

Down this path, not sure yet where it ends....

The sun was super bright and hot today!

It was amazing!

#ItsTheLittleThings

After having been 'stuck' all day in windowless rooms, 

I had to get out for a bit once my work was finished!

The plan was just to sort of meander around, mostly campus

maybe a bit down RenMin Luo 人民路.

An hour and a half later, with blisters on both feet from

the sandals I didn't bother changing due to

it 'only' being a short walk, I hobbled back onto campus

and grabbed some dinner. 

I went down a couple roads I've not been down in a long time,

and some I have never ventured on! 

At the beginning of my walk I looked down one path and 

made a mental note to someday find where it led,only to find that the

turns I took later in my walk found me right back at that very spot!

It allowed me to view campus from a side I've never seen before,

which I thought was really awesome!

#ItsTheLittleThings

All throughout my walk, though, what struck me

was how pretty this city is and how much I am going to miss

living here. Not even two months now before I head back to

the States! OH MY GOODNESS I'M GOING TO AMERICA!

#ItsTheLittleThings

Funny enough, I got stared at more during this walk then I have 

been in forever. Not sure if it was due to wearing a tank top 

and it being all the more evident just how white I am,

or what the deal was. People were actually slowing their cars and

bikes down to look! haha! A couple times I got pretty self conscious

and had to look down to see if  there was something wrong! 

I was able to walk long enough to get blisters on my feet!

#ItsTheLittleThings!

See, its not just my campus that's beautiful!

Xinzheng is a nice place to live!

I was being poetic in my head when I took this photo. 

The steps lead up to a wall. So, they go nowhere at the moment. 

BUT, when whatever is on the other side of that wall is finished, 

they will already be ready for it. I was thinking of how this 

is the way we should be in our lives. We are told to be ready at 

a moments notice, to ask without wavering or shadow of doubt. 

I like the story told in the movie 'Facing the Giants'

of the man who goes out to plant his field even though

there has not been rain in weeks. He was preparing for rain.

I feel like that is what this photo shows. They are prepared for

the way when it comes, and they know that it will be there at some point

even though here {in China} things can change so quickly as well as take forever to complete. 

Yeah...I got that all from a staircase up to a blue metal wall!

You can't really see them, but there was a row of birds sitting on the

line out in the street tonight when I went out for another stroll.....

ok, I went out and got ice cream/a popsicle. 

They were cute!

It was my birthday!

Its a long one people! 

The room of characters!

I liked testing myself to see how many of them I knew.

Funny, no...pathetic thing was, I posted about it

on wechat and used the wrong word when

saying I was testing myself on it {I used the character 子 when it is really 字}

and I got called on it! To make matters worse,

I didn't even notice when he pointed it out the first time.

It wasn't until a couple more people made mention of the wrong character

that it clicked that it was MY wrong character to which they were referring!

I guess in China, we fight with Elephants!

I think this was a clock!

Sometimes you become part of the museum! 

I have never been one that is stopped all that often to be asked to take

photos. So it is always amusing to me when newbies to China find it so annoying!

I guess it is one of those annoying things I can't understand since it doesn't happen enough to

me to be annoying! When it does happen I kinda think its cool cause I got noticed! 

After the day at the museum and shops, the group had to go to a banquet. 

I walked over with them so I could see the new library again, in the light. 

Still has a ways to go, but you can see its shaping up to be QUITE the place!

And you can't beat the view!

Pretty neat eh?

This is just one section that is competed...and for now it only serves as a waiting area when 

they have banquets and such! lol! This is where everyone stands as they 

wait to be told it is time to go in to eat! tee hee!

I kept thinking 'Kat would love this!' 

Hope there is something going on during summer camp

so I can sneak her in to see the place and all that it could become!

Then, it was my good friends birthday!

I had told her well over a month ago that I would make her deviled 

eggs for her birthday so she could try them. She called me in the

evening and asked if they were ready for her yet, and then when

she showed up she had a cake and two friends with her!

"Can I celebrate my birthday here? Is that ok?"

She said.

So we got to sing to her and have cake!

It was a nummy cake too!

• 
• The next day was the homecoming parade.

Got to spend more time with one of the assistants, which was

fun! My day had a big blemish on it as I was

not feeling so great and so was over emotional
{I also think this is due to not sleeping much, being overwhelmed

and super busy! I love being busy, but I do have a hard and true threshold and 

the tears that were shed that day proved I had reached it!}

I got all worked up over the tiniest things! So thankful that I got to take a nap/rest

in the afternoon!

One of my favourite teachers!

It was off to the colour run later in the afternoon. 

Not knowing that it was not a 'YOU MUST RUN' kind

of race, I had to stay on the sidelines. Thankfully, my comprehensive reading

teacher and my very good friend {the one I have lunch with every Tuesday}

hung out with me on the sidelines the whole time, and talked,

The one time a Chinese girl is not going to mind

'getting some colour' 

while out doors!

{NOTE: Chinese do not like to be tanned by the sun. 

Many girls will do all that they can to become

more pale and white! They stay as much in the shade

as is possible during the summer, and stay under sun umbrella's.}

Happy smiles all around! They went into the fountain after this to wash off!

 I know I have more photos in my cell to help with this story , but I am too lazy to get them, and this already has so much going on, so you will just have to use your imagination for this one! 

Saturday, my friend from Laos {who I use to tutor on Sundays} told me that she needed my help

later in the evening. She had a friend {one she had known since her first semester here, so the same amount of time as the two of us have known each other} who was needing to interview an American and she wanted me to help him. We would meet in the Bridge Cafe at 8:30. When I got there, he told me that he had to ask a foreigner about business and how the culture of their state effected the business laws in their area. 

WHAT?!

I kept thinking "Why would you ask me? I don't know!" 

We sat and talked for awhile, the three of us, with me trying to give him the best answers I could.

Da got up a couple times with phone calls, she is a very popular girl. and the conversation 

continued. They bought me a cup of coffee and after he said he had enough for his paper 

we sat around drinking coffee and chatting..

The friend he had a book to give me as a thank you for helping

with his project and after we talked about it for a little bit, Da got up one

more time for another call. It was getting late and

I was about to say I needed to go when Da came back in a huff. 

She said she had just gotten a call from a friend to say that she had seen Da's boyfriend out with another girl. Da had gone to see if she could find him and see for herself but he had left when she got there. I asked if she believed the friend and she said 

'Of course! She is one of my best friends, she wouldn't lie to me!'

Da's friend and I tried to comfort her, though she was more ticked than anything else

and told her friend that he would need to help her find a good Chinese boyfriend 

since all the Chinese boys she was dating turned out to be duds. 

I told her that I was very sorry for how things were going, but it was now after 10 and I didn't

want to get locked out so I needed to leave to get back to the dorms.
{They changed the lock time from 11 to 10:30. It still is taking me some 

time to get use to so I try to get back way early!} 

Wow,..sorry this is long, I'll try to speed it up!

She asked if I would please go with her to the steps of the new library so that she could break

up with her bf. She didn't want to go alone. I didn't want her alone either, so I agreed, and she

had her friend go along with us 'for protection'. {I am bigger than both of them, and her bf, so 

I really didn't think we needed him, but hey!} 

She moaned the entire time we were on our way over, and was often sending

him voice messages asking where he was and saying she was coming for him.

We had to climb up the insane amount of steps up to the landing of the new library to find him,

with her stopping every now and then to let out a loud wail of a sorrowful

"An Ya Hui, what am I gonna do?!"

or 

"Ya Hui, why would he do this to me?!"

or the like. 

When we got to the top, she yelled out his name and said "Where are you?!"

Honest to goodness, the very first thought that ran through my mind

"What did I miss? Did something happen near by and there is a vigil going on?

Oh shoot...we are about to interrupt some meaningful event for her to go off on her bf, do I know

enough Chinese to calm everyone down, there seems to be more people up here than just

her bf and his new girl" 

My mind was racing and I was trying to figure out what was going on and how to handle it all

when I noticed something.,,,

I knew one of the guys standing up there at the top. And the more I looked, the

more I recognized the people up there near the candles. 

Thats when they had me go stand in a spot designated by a fiery arrow

and they all burst out into yells of HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

That's right...every last second of the past two hours had been a lie!

All of it was a rouse to get me to the library! 

They had a cake for me, made me blow out ALL of the candles you see in that photo up there, 

and they sang to me. 

We then booked it back to the castle {After picking up the hundred of melted tea lights} 

where we found that the door had been locked literally seconds before our arrival!

We banged on the door, yelled, called the front desk, and even got some help 

from some of the American students who were sitting in the lobby, who tried to go track

the front desk girl down to get her to unlock the door! None of it worked.

She said she was ticked that we were 8 minutes late and she was going to 

let us wait it out a bit! 

My friend K and I were talking about how confusing it was that the 

rule had been changed from 'doors are locked at 11' to 

'the doors are locked at 10:30, no later than 11 and after 11 they will not be opened again, if you are out, you're out!' 

It didn't make sense to be so mad, but she wasn't unlocking the door!

K and I 'brainstormed' different ideas for what we could do if she decided to leave us out there till morning. K said she would go sleep in one of the floats left over from that mornings parade. 

I figured we would go to Peter Hall, though I was not about to repeat a few summers ago and get 

eaten alive in the lobby! 

Some of the students who were on the inside of the door tried to get us to have the

store stay open late so that once they convinced her to open the door, they could

go buy beer.

Finally, an hour later, at just after 11:30pm, she stormed down

madder then a wet hen, to finally open the door, I felt so bad and wanted to explain what was

going on, but she was yelling at the students who now wanted to leave to get beer

and I didn't have a chance as the rest of them didn't want to stick around to find out

how angry she was with us!

When we made it to my room, the door was locked and I was yelled at by my roommate 

to not come in. 

After about 15 minutes {I let her know that I was aware of what she was doing, but

that it was ok....we could celebrate early as we were all tired and bitten up after

our one hour outside. Her friend came out and 'took me for a walk' to talk

and pretend like I didn't know what was going on. 

About 10 minutes before midnight, my roommate came down to the first floor, where

her friend had taken me and said that it was ok to come in.

Once in the room, I saw the probably nearly 50 balloons she had blown up by herself

and the cute little cake she had purchased! 

It was super thoughtful of her! And as it turns out...she had asked my friend Da to

get me out of the room for awhile, around 10 or 11 so that she could

prep it, but Da decided to do it a bit early! 

Yup...the entire night had been a set up from the beginning!

Including, I might add...the angry front desk girl!

Da had called ahead to tell her that we were on our way and

she needed to lock us out and 'let us chill' for about an hour

to buy more time. She was also to act angry. 

Girl can act!

Needless to say....I feel pretty special! :) 

She has graduated! So glad that this beauty will be at camp this summer, 

so I will still have some time with her! 

{The necklace I am wearing in this photo is the gift my friend gave me on the library steps} 

FLASH FORWARD TO TODDAY:

I have begun packing! EEEKKK!! 

I will be heading back to the good ol' U.S. of A in less than 2 months time!

Though I have tried to purchase my ticket twice already,

that is still in limbo as I wait for the payment to be verified, BUT

I am confindent that it will and I will be on my way to California and 

an In 'N Out burger....I mean to see my dear friends

B and R for a few days, very shortly! ;) 

#ItsTheSmallThings 

{Like burgers that haunt my dreams that I can not wait to have!} 

Below are two thoughts that have sprung up lately, but have come to a head due to a situation I saw today. There is no dire need for anyone to read it, I just felt like typing it out. If you don't wish to delve into the inner workings of my strange brain {I don't blame you!} then you may click out now! Thanks for reading to here! That's all folks!

1. Why do we write off bad impressions of others as merely gossip and not

to be taken as fact until you have seen it for yourself? I'm not saying

that we need to heed gossip, I know it is wrong. But what bothers me is that

we seem to think that the impression one gives doesn't matter. If I were to say

that I have heard that someone has a reputation of not being a very

kind person, I would be told that its gossip and I can't know anything

about them until I have met them myself and know why they are the way they are.

But if I were to say that I heard someone is super sweet and kind, no one

would bat an eye and I would never have to meet them to confirm it. 

In the first situation, if it got back to the person, that I had heard they had a bad rep,

they would probably tell me I had to meet them and get to know them as well before

I could make that call...yet that wouldn't be the case with the second. 

It just feels like we don't think the impression of others matters, It says 

that by their deeds you may know them, so if they have a rep of not so good deeds

why do I have to meet them to know this? If I find out that I have a rep for being a harsh person when people first meet me, I try and change how I act when I first meet someone. 

I don't even know how to fully explain what is going on in my head with this matter! 

But it is bugging me, 

Does it make a diff on where I will go once I die, what others think of me?

Nope!

Does it matter what others think of me,,,,,I say yes! 

2. Why is the issue of obedience to parents only a two option discussion?

There is one going on right now on the book of faces, one I have not gotten involved if for various reasons. {I can just see it, I am going to get in trouble for posting about it when I am not in the discussion!} It just seems like there are only ever two sides to this issue, and one important one is left out! 

In this particular discussion, the situation regards the disapproval of parents for a 20 somethings boyfriend. She asked if she should listen to them and break up or if it is ok for her to go against them and do what she wants. She is getting a lot of "Listen to what they have to say and then do what you want to...it's your life and your decision" which to me just really reeks of "And every man did what was right in his own mind" but maybe I am taking that too far. Now I want to take a step away from using this situation as my example so I do not get myself into trouble. {There is a lot that has been said and has gone on in that thread and while I of course have my thoughts on all of it, this is not the place to air those!} 

 The other less often given, but still there option is to listen to parents and break up. 

That's it. Those are the choices you have, in most discussions I see now a days. 

What about, saying to your parents
"Out of respect and honour for you, I will take a step back, but I beg for you to continue to

lift this up and think on it." and then you YOURSELF do the same for both the 

situation and your parents. 

If you go ahead and continue to date the guy, which is the option i see most often taken as 

they decide that parents DONT know whats best {Why do we think we were given our

parents in the first place if we are not suppose to heed their warnings and advice? That's always my question with this!} 

It just seems to me that the only two paths to take says that since there is one person

in the right {Which of course there has to be,..I understand that!} that there is only one

way to end up at the proper conclusion. I am not saying your parents are always going to be

right in their thoughts, but you aren't going to be either! 

Why not wait for the ram to come along? 

{The lamb stuck in the bushes, He did what he was told, even though he didn't want to but last minute he was given an out} 

I honestly believe that we are always given an out if we need one in these situations! 

Before you are married, your relationship with your parents is the most important earthly

relationship! Don't mess that up! Protect that and make the new most important one

even better by having come about it the right way! 

Gill, if you are reading this, a bit of advice from a head strong,

strong tempered, too often too independent girl...

don't try to convince me to go against my Dad! 

This is the time when I learn obedience and submission! 

If you undermine that, how much harder is it going to make it 

for me to stick to it with you?! Think of that!

My dad is the example and 'test' for my submission and obedience to you. 

Help me protect that so that we have a better chance it fewer {not 'none' as I know 

that 'an't happenin! Just tellin you now!} problems with me and my submission down the road!

Another question this debate often leaves me with is what do people think it means

when it tells us to honour our parents? Many say that that section is not saying

we have to obey. {The words I read actually say obey in two different 

sections, but then I hear people calling out that we are not children,...to which I always 

want to ask when we stop being children as they lived with their parents much longer into 

their adult lives then in many cases, than we do now. etc etc. And that girls at that

time would NOT have been allowed to 'do what they want cause it's their lives' but that just

gets into a whole other conflict and conversation} 

Ok, so we are to honour our parents but that doesn't mean obey.

What do tell does it mean then?

How is it honouring to say

"Yup, yup, I hear you, I understand what you are saying

I get it, really, I do..but you're wrong. So I'm doing it my way!"

Where is the honour in that? 

And before you ask....yes, I would stop seeing anyone my parents did not approve of!