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A Thank You for Your Patience

Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

Hello, everyone! Thank you to anyone who is reading this. I know I took quite a long hiatus, and I can’t promise that I won’t have to take another one in the upcoming months. Please forgive my thoughts in this post. They’re quite over the place since I have too much to talk about since I was last here.

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I’m doing very well, though. My classes were a smashing success, and each time I think about my Japanese lessons, I’m filled with gratitude for the fact that I can read and write in hiragana and somewhat understand some sentences.

I’m enrolled in another class that will start in January. While I was going back and forth on the language, I figured out something very important about language learning: it is supremely difficult to do it alone. For a while, in my Japanese class, I was studying by myself and tried to make the best of the classes while I struggled with conjugation. During our weekly labs, where the students gathered together to test what we had learned, one of the students mentioned a Discord community that was made for the class, and I jumped into the group.

It was definitely overwhelming at first. Some of the students were very confident in their knowledge of Japanese, already knowing some hundred kanji. I had only just memorized all of the hiragana!

But the Lord worked on my behalf, guiding me and helping me learn so many principles that will be invaluable to me as a teacher. I must meet the needs of my students, inspiring the desire for learning and encouraging them to grow. That intimidation was so real, but I determined that I would learn from those who had been studying longer than me. I have friendships from that class that are a real blessing to me, and it reminds me to be a light of the glorious Gospel to them. I can’t wait to join them in classes in this upcoming semester.

While there were times during my hiatus that were a little rough, I can say with confidence now that things are good for me. The Lord gave me wonderful, wonderful opportunities during this holiday season. I invested more into connecting with others, giving gifts, and refusing to expect anything in return. While my love language is receiving gifts, I determined that I would refuse to put my identity into what I felt people thought of me by the way that they gave gifts or did not do so.

What I had learned was that those who knew me as a friend or family member tended to reciprocate with gifts of their own, even if the gift came “a little late.” No gift is too late in my eyes. Each one is thoughtful, and each will be appreciated.

I found myself enjoying this holiday season, something that hasn’t really happened in the past. The holidays have often held awkward situations filled with difficult family circumstances that are difficult to speak of. It was better to skate by the holiday, refusing to keep any expectations for fear that the disappointment would loom like a thundercloud.

But amidst the fun Christmas music that I found to enjoy, the handmade gifts, and the conversations and laughter with my family, I found that I also loved the times that I was given, making sure to stash away the memories so that I couldn’t easily forget them.

I have been praying for more opportunities to interact with all three of my siblings. While I live with my youngest brother, my sister (who is younger than me) and my older brother both live in different states entirely, and the distance can truly be felt at times. The Lord answered that prayer during the holiday season. The opportunities were small, but I’ve learned not to despise the day of small things. One day, I treated my two younger siblings to coffee. They offered to pay, and I told them not to worry about it. Their genuine gratitude was enough to fill my heart with gratitude as well. I decorated the family Christmas tree with my older brother, and we worked to fluff the branches, hanging the ornaments in a way that looked pleasing to the eye while we laughed at my 1.5-year-old kitty playing with the ornaments. It was a moment much appreciated, not only because of the help but also because of the time that we shared.

These past few days have been healthy for me. Since I haven’t had any assignments, I’ve been working to keep myself busy in other areas. Whether that was hanging out with friends before they left for their homes for the holidays or reading through the list of books I started in 2024 but have yet to finish, I’ve found satisfaction in the smallest things.

I’ve also been creative in the space between classes as well! I will be moving in the upcoming year and have been working through the many hobbies I have to minimize the space they take up to ensure that I will make use of everything in the best way possible. As you may know, I love to crochet and have been spending my free time listening to audiobooks and crocheting. Potholders and dishcloths have been the biggest focus at the moment, and I’ve been able to give some as gifts. The enthusiasm I’ve received from some friends has been another highlight. One friend, when she took the tissue paper from the gift bag I gave her, legitimately jumped up and down in excitement. She’s getting married this week, and I gave her a set of three potholders as a Christmas/wedding present. She was so ecstatic to be given the gifts, and while I thought the gift was modest, she was over the moon at the sight of the potholders. The reaction warmed my heart and filled me with the desire to give more gifts to those around me. I tell you, it does something wild to my serotonin levels, seeing people happy from the gifts I give them.

I’ve spent quite some time thinking about my goals for the New Year. I’m of the opinion that while goals are important, and we should make goals to live healthier or with more financial awareness, it’s completely healthy to make fun goals, too. I asked my sister if she was going to make any goals for the New Year. She told me she was of the opinion that if you wanted to make a goal, you shouldn’t wait for the New Year, but I argued that it just feels like a fresh start. She told me today that she decided to set some goals, and I felt like such a cool and influential sister. It was encouraging for me to see the conversation had stuck around in her mind.

For me, I made a goal to write at least one post on this publication every month. It may get a little random, but I hope you stay around and find something that you enjoy!

And speaking of goals, I made a goal to read 35 books this year, not including any devotional books or textbooks that I had to read. I’m pleased to announce that I read a total of 56 books this year, a smashing number that I never thought I would have been able to achieve — ever. Even though I got into a reading rut during the months of March and April, I was still able to read 56 books, which is such a lovely number in my eyes. I’ve heard some people say that if the number of books you’re reading is crazy, you haven’t really read those books well, and I say it's utter poppycock. The Lord just gave me lots of empty time at my job, where I didn’t have much to do. Instead of wasting time or going crazy from the sheer amount of downtime, I chose to dive into books that I’ve wanted to read for literal years by borrowing them from the library as audiobooks and listening to them. It’s been so beneficial. Not only was I able to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy this year, but I also read the Chronicles of Narnia series for the very first time ever. I also reread The Lunar Chronicles and have determined that I want to read the series every year, so I’m going to make that a goal in the New Year. I also read some classics, like five of the eight Anne of Green Gables books, and I feel like they’ve shaped a little of my personality. While there are some classics, like Great Expectations, that I had to put to the side, I want to tackle them again. The writing is so fascinating.

I’m working on reading 75 books in this upcoming year. One of the goals I want to do is to find a new fantasy series to read that is longer than just two books. I found a Christian fantasy series with six total books and each one is quite long. I get the first book in the mail on Tuesday. I will let you know what I think of the books after I’ve read them!

Another goal is to read more missionary biographies. I have a little stack that I haven’t been able to get to yet, but is there someone that I should focus on first? This past year, I read about Elizabeth Elliott in her books Through Gates of Splendor and The Path of Loneliness. I also read about Eric Liddell. Who should I read about next?

I’m not sure what else I should write about, so I think it’s time to wrap up this little Visit with Bekah segment. I hope things are going well with you. Do you have any goals in the New Year that you’d like to share?

I hope this New Year is good for you, and I pray the Lord gives you opportunities to grow and become more like Him. Have a wonderful day, my friends!