a bit on the lighter side.

Thirty-seven seconds... not even necessary.

My baby sister Meredith is visiting the 'bus this weekend (!). Of course, Mer knows when she comes to visit we will probably (okay, certainly) go shopping. So, we took a stroll through the north end of Easton this evening. 

Now, admittedly, I am a true believer in retail therapy. Even just being around all the pretty window displays and twinkle lights makes me giddy. We walked into the new Madewell store for a split second tonight, and that was it. Love at first sight.

No no, this has nothing to do with a man. I really, truly do love shopping just that much.

Slighty shallow post? Sure. Am I posting it anyway? Absolutely. I find joy in all sorts of little moments.

Moral of the story is 1) promise me window displays and twinkle lights, and I may be falling in love with you instead of a "dynamic, mixed-use town center" or a pair of killer cognac riding boots, and 2) Go check out Madewell, will ya?

Dear Santa, See this? Yep. XOXO, Mel

great expectations.

I know I owe you more dish on Europe. But... I had the chance in class today to talk about something that represents a part of my life that significantly impacted my identity development, and it sparked a few thoughts worth blogging about.

I brought a pretty important piece of jewelry to share with the class (It's shaped like a kite)... and it reminded me of one of my most favorite moments in college - a moment of appreciation, thankfulness, clarity, and loyalty.

Those who were there will remember this excerpt from a Roy Croft poem:

I love you, not only for what you are, but for who I am when I am with you. 

I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, 

but for what you are making of me. 

I love you, for the part of me that you bring out. 

I love you, because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good,

And more than any fate could have done to make me happy... 

...You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. 

You have done it by being yourself. 

Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.

Even if you may not know what moment I'm referring to, I think you can imagine the impact of this poem... particularly when presented in a way that isn't on a random, rambling MelRoc blog post. ;) I'd like to think we are all able to say that this poem reflects how we feel about anyone we spend a lot of time and energy on or with. And if we can't, I hope we have the courage to do something about that.

This one certainly goes out to my girls, for reasons obvious to them. But, in particular, it goes out to my brother Kevin - someone who I admittedly fought with for most of my life. Yet, as we get older I realize we share much of the same values, perspectives, expectations, and dreams.  I admire him for a lot of things, particularly his strength and determination. He's a smart cookie, too. I think he'll get why I dedicated this particular post to him... Love you, Kev.

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