Today I realized it is the first day of July 2016. I also realized that that means 2016 is 6/12s of the way over. Reduce that and it’s 3/6s or 2/4s. Whatever way you slice the pie of life, this means that 2016 is half way over and I am over here like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Also, today my mom, sisters, and I went on an adventure to a place we used to practically live when I was very little. She was telling me lots of stories about when I was younger, so although 2016 has seemed uneventful (which tbh has been huge for me, but we don’t really notice this stuff in the moment as much as we should) the span of time from May 1995, until now has been what some may call “lit.” So, to help me pass the time, I have a few favorites from the past 21 years of my life.

“Are you flinking what I’m flinking about?”

Apparently I used to say this all the time and adults thought it was funny. I can’t stop flinking about it.

Dad’s home? And asleep? That won’t last long…

My dad is a truck driver and has been since as long as I can remember. I’m super grateful he works so hard driving Sunday afternoon until Saturday night with no chance to come home in between, but when I was younger I cared more about seeing him and me being the first thing he saw when he woke up (was forced awake) in the morning. I used to wake up, see his truck outside or ask if dad was home, then sneak into his room and pry one eye open and ask, “are you asleep?”

Legos hurt.

My older brother was obsessed with Legos. I was obsessed with what he was doing all the time. I accidentally fell and wrecked his Lego ship and my face, and I still have a scar under my nose to prove it.

Competition was never my thing.

I loved to race people when I was little. My mom decided to race me into a store in a lovingly and jokingly way, saying, “I’m going to beat you Leah! You better hurry!” I also hated losing and still do. When I saw her winning I started running as hard as I could, crying, screaming at the top of my lungs, “DON’T BEAT ME MOMMY!”

Two Speeds

I never slept as a child. I would just go and go and go at full speed until I passed out on the floor, couch or backseat of the car and could not be awoken by anything.

Always singing about everything.

Shout-out to everyone who saw “Finding Dory” and laughed at the scene where she starts making up a song about sand on the spot because that was totally me as a child. I was always singing my own new songs about what I was doing, seeing or thinking at the time.

Greased Lighting

We only had like 10 CDs when I was a kid. One of them was the Grease soundtrack. I am so obsessed with that musical and one of my biggest regrets is I will never play the role of Sandy. Coincidence? I think not. Mom blames herself, really.

Everyone will be invited.

When I was in preschool, one of the boys had a big birthday party. The problem? Half the class wasn’t invited, myself included, and we were all really distraught. So, when my birthday came around a month later, I asked (told) my mom if I could invite the whole class to my party so no one felt left out. We had it at the movie theater and it was Blue’s Clues themed and everyone had a great time.

Hugs

This is one that really gets me. When I graduated high school, both of my preschool teachers attended my party which made me super happy. On top of that, one wrote me a really nice letter. It speaks for itself:

....I remember one morning in particular that you helped me more than you could possibly realize. My father had passed away, and I had been gone for a week. You came in with a serious face, and said, “Mrs. Phipps, my Mom said you might be a little sad today. Could I maybe give you a hug?” That hug ranks right up there as one of the best and most memorable of my life, and it says an awful lot about you, your Mom and your family…

“Hi! I’m Leah. Do you want to be my friend?”

If my life was a '90s sitcom, this was my famous one-liner. It didn’t matter where I was, it always came out: the grocery store, the fair, vacation, Girl Scout camp, visiting my aunts at Cornell College and talking to football players. I even met one of my greatest friends, Chelsey, using that line and adding in the extra fun of playing My Little Pony together.

So, from the pointlessly funny to the really sweet themes of all the things I’ve heard about me in my lifetime, digging into my past some more has helped me feel a little better. Some of the best discoveries in life are the ones you make about yourself. They can even help you connect the dots in your own life story, which is the coolest thing ever. I like to think I am still the friendly little girl asking for friends and offering hugs to those who want and need them, but every now and again I can take a step back and learn a thing or two from Little Leah. I urge you to do the same.