I hate cleaning...for good reason.

Today as I slid into my boiling hot car, and my legs were burned by the hot leather seat, I thought to myself "Summer weather has definitely started".

So in preparation for the summer, I cleaned out my dresser and closet in hopes of finding bathing suits from summers past so that I wouldn't need to spend money on a new one this summer. While I did discover 4 perfectly good bathing suits, I also discovered a lot of my clothes from high school when I had absolutely no body fat and could squeeze into a size 3. Now let me say, I am skinny and small and have a good body. I am confident in my image. BUT pretty much all women can find something they don't like about themselves or some excuse to hate their body; and for me, trying on those size 3 jeans again didn't do anything for my self-esteem. I just hope that one day, when I'm older, I don't find my current size 5's - that would most likely throw me into a mid-life crisis.

So here I am, boxing up my jeans that remind me of a...skinnier time... Soon they will be given away to some girl who will also, one day, grow up to hate those awful size 3's for reminding her of the effects of time.

Hello summer time.

Soldiers in the Congo

Today I attended a presentation given by a former child solider from the Congo and a man that works with her to spread awareness of the topic. Of course, I’ve heard of other countries and their uses of child armies, but I had never heard of girls being forced to serve in the army.

The speakers’ stories, and the two short films that were played, were both fascinating and heartbreaking. The girl who spoke today was kidnapped at the age of eleven and forced to serve in the army. But there are other young girls who decide, on their own, to go. This was shocking to me – why would any young girl feel that she needs or even wants to join an army?

I plan on doing some research in the new future and finding out how I can become involved in putting an end to this nightmarish situation.