The Baylor Spirit (Reflections From a Year Later)

That Good Old Baylor Line,
That Good Old Baylor Line. 

We'll march forever down the years
As long as stars shall shine  

        (Woosh!*)

We'll fling our green and gold afar
To light the ways of time.

And guide us as we onward go.
That Good Old Baylor Line


Homecoming week is huge here at Baylor University.

The entire campus is draped in green and gold during this jam-packed week as the university opens its arms to Bears old, current, and future.

Thursday night's tradition is something called Freshman Mass Meeting. And I just so happen to be watching it unfold right now as I blog from the second story of Moody library, gearing up to write my 8 page paper due the next morning.

I can't see them too closely from here, but the Class of 2018 is wearing their Line Jerseys, leaving Waco Hall's auditorium and walking down a path lined with candle-filled paper bags, the path that I walked to get to the library, except the candles will be lit, casting an ethereal glow for the short walk. Their own candles clutched solemnly in hand, they trek past the statue of The Immortal Ten, who are heroes here at Baylor.

I'm watching the small pinpricks of light flood into the field of Fountain Mall, arranging themselves in front of the stage that was set up there this afternoon where they will begin stacking wooden crates for the bonfire to happen tomorrow night. The green lights atop Pat Neff's tower wash the area in a familiar gleam.

Because Baylor is home. Not only is it a new home to these freshmen, it's a home to all who live here, work here, and ultimately some return here.

Tonight, more Baylor Bears join our legacy. Tonight they learn what it really means to be of Baylor. They are passed the torch to fling their own green and gold afar. They've been here for a couple of months now, but tonight is almost like an initiation of sorts.

I see more candles flooding the field. Each candle is held by a person with a different story. They all have different backgrounds, different lives, different interests, different wants, dreams, hopes, and futures, but they've all come together tonight in the spirit of Baylor to join their stories together under the banner of green and gold and the legacy of the Bears that have come before them.

Dang. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. I'm a little jealous, really. But I'm glad I'm getting to watch them experience what I did last year. They're in for a wild ride here, but if they hang on tight, it'll be the best, most breathtaking ride they've ever ridden.

Me (far left) only a year ago.

I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to come to Baylor University. And frankly, I don't see myself anywhere else than with my beloved fellow Bears.


None of the pictures are my own. Credits go to where they're due.

*The addition of the word "Woosh" is something that the Golden Wave Marching Band (or "BUGWB") does. It's one of our many traditions.

Tea Time

Her breath came out in gasps, leaves crunched under her feet, branches reached out menacingly and tore at her hair, her clothes, her skin.

But Renee didn’t care. She wasn’t going back. Never ever.

It was dark now, but Renee felt that she had been running forever. Grandmama said that all good little girls didn’t go into the forest at night. But Grandmama never had to watch her father and mother scream at each other. Grandmama didn’t have to hide from bullies at school. Grandmama was never lonely all the time.

Renee skidded to a stop. All the trees looked the same. She turned in a full circle. Which direction had she come from? She couldn’t remember.

The wind whispered through the trees, making Renee shiver. She started to walk. Maybe, she reasoned, if she picked a direction, she could make it somewhere. Anywhere but here.

She walked for what seemed like days, yet the sky never lightened. Renee shivered harder. She hoped there weren’t wild animals in the woods. A wolf could gobble a morsel like her down in one bite. 

After all, that’s how it happened in Little Red Riding Hood. Renee didn’t believe the tale was true, but now, surrounded by dark forest, she wasn’t so sure that a sneaky wolf wasn’t hiding behind the next tree.

But wait. What was that? Renee squinted. There was no mistake, she could see a small light, dead ahead, piercing the darkness. Without thinking, she headed toward it. With each step, the light grew stronger. Renee suddenly felt the desire for that light. She needed to touch it, to dance in it, to drink it all in. It had to be hers.

She darted around a rock, and suddenly, there was the source. A small stone house was nestled in a ring of trees. The light was coming out of the windows, spilling out into the night.

Renee timidly stepped up on the porch and knocked softly on the door. Who would open it, she wondered. A witch? They seemed like the usual foresty type.

The door swung open. “Come in!” a cheerful voice cried out from inside. Renee stepped into the house. At the far window was a young girl, not too many years older than her, grinning from her seat on the window sill. “I’ve been expecting you! One lump of sugar, or two?”

“Wh-what?” Renee could only stutter.

“In your tea, of course!”

Tea? She had never had tea before. “One, please.” Renee didn’t budge.

“You can come closer, you know! It’ll be a little harder for you to drink your tea from all the way over there!”

“Who are you?” 

“A friend.” She said gently. “Now hurry on over. Your tea’s getting cold.”

Renee seated herself across from the stranger, who set a teacup brimming with hot liquid in front of her.”

Renee lifted the cup to her lips and gingerly took a sip.

“How is it? The girl cocked her head. “I’ve been trying to perfect my recipe.”

Renee smiled over her teacup. “It’s already perfect.”

“Not quite.” The girl’s grin grew wider, “There’s always more I can improve.”

“Now,” said the girl, wrapping a blanket around Renee’s shoulders. “Tell me everything.”

“But I don’t know you.”

“But you do.” The girl poured more tea into Renee’s cup. And, oddly, Renee did felt she knew the girl, but a long time ago.

So she began at the beginning. She told the girl how ever since her beloved Grandmama had died of the fever, things had changed. Her parents had left the city for the countryside, forcing Renee to go to a new school, where she was bullied mercilessly. None of her city friends had written her.

“Perhaps they’ve forgotten.” Tears flowed freely down Renee’s cheeks. “I’m all alone.”

“No one’s alone, darling.” The girl wrapped Renee tightly into a hug. “Even when life tries to knock you down, friendship and love take you by the hand and lift you back up. It’s what makes the world go ‘round.”

Renee curled into the embrace. “And tea makes it better.” Her eyes were starting to get heavy.

The girl smiled. “Tea makes it ten times better.”

Renee’s eyelids drooped. As she dropped off to sleep, she heard a whisper, “Friendship can be found in the most forgotten places.”

Renee woke to sunlight bathing her face in warmth and light. She sat up, finding herself surrounded with wildflowers, in a peaceful meadow. Where was the cottage? Where was the girl who had treated her so kindly? Where was she?

Voices filtered through the trees? “Renee? Where are you? Renee?” They were familiar. Her parents. Renee sighed.

Something was different, though. They were calling together. Days ago, they couldn’t stand to be in the same house with each other, but now her parents were together, looking for her.

There were more voices that joined those of her parents. “Renee? We’ve missed you! Where are you?” How could this be possible? These were the voices of her friends from the city. Renee shook her head.

But the voices came closer, they were louder, clearer. They were real. It was a new day, a new day for everything. A new day to mend broken relationships, and a new day to just be, under the bright sun.

As Renee leapt to her feet in joy, her shoe clinked against something. She glanced down. At her feet, there was a porcelain teacup. Inside was a neatly folded piece of paper. Renee crouched and snatched the cream paper in her fingertips. The words inside were written in curly script:

Friendship is better with tea.

Blogger's note: I've missed writing fiction. Hope you enjoyed the read!

Binding Wounds Lovingly

[Blogger's Note: I feel like Friday's post was a bit of a cop-out. So here's something completely different. Enjoy. :) ]

If you told me to give you a list of things I missed the most, I promise you the beautiful country of Cambodia would be near the top.

Ah, Cambodia. 

Traveling to Cambodia in the summer of 2013, right before I came to Baylor, as a matter of fact, was one of the major turning points of my life. I could write a book about all I experienced and learned throughout that journey.

During my stay in a rural village in northern Cambodia, while one main task was to build a water tank to catch rainwater, another thing we did was promote hygiene. Believe it or not, the organization we were partnering with at the time just so happened to manufacture their own soap.

Grabbing the soap and a few medical supplies, mostly band-aids and rubbing alcohol, we left the school where we were staying and trekked down the dirt road into the village proper. Seeing a group of locals gathered underneath one of the stilted houses, we joined them in the shade as we explained what we were doing.

Someone was very happy to have his hair washed!

Healthcare in rural Cambodia is the worst. There are no doctors for miles, so villagers do not have access to the basic medical care and supplies that they need. Infection and lice are rampant. And that's just the mild part.


The women would bring their children for us to examine. Knowing almost nothing about doctoring people, and not trusting myself to do anything correctly, I planned to document the action using something I could use correctly. My camera.

One of the people I admire the most in the world. 

I'm actually in this picture, so I didn't document EVERYTHING. 

But plans change. Within a few minutes, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a soft white pad were pressed into my hand. I protested, but the replies were firm. Taking a deep breath, I knelt in front of the small child in front of me, and gently gently smeared a soaked pad across her scraped up knees.

After administering the necessary band-aids, I moved from child to child, glancing at the various cuts and sores their mothers gestured to, assisting my other team members with their tasks.

I was scared when I first arrived in Cambodia. I wasn't great with people or construction. I ended up getting very sick early on. (You can read about that little adventure here.) I felt inadequate and unwanted. I, too, felt wounded. But not in the physical sense (unless you counted the nasty ant bites that covered my feet).

 Although I still am not great with people and construction (And let's face it, will I ever be?), I was able to contribute in small ways. With each brushstroke of cement paste as I clambered barefoot on the roof of the rain catcher, with each hand slapping game with the local kiddos, with each time I held their hands, with each time I applied a band-aid to a boo-boo, I showed love that I never though I had.

Alex and Mac, my sisters in crime. 

I felt compassion for things and people and a world greater than myself. And even though my team and I were there for a short time, we brought love to a dark place.

No action was insignificant. 

I still struggle with feelings of inadequacy daily. The past few months have been some of the hardest I've ever had to live through. But I'm determined to not let that stop me. Why? Because love binds wounds. Hugs, smiles, little notes of encouragement, time spent with friends in this wide world under the sun and stars. Love keeps us going, even when everything hurts.

And without it, we simply could not exist.

10 Beautiful Moments from Today

My name is Maggie, and sometimes I don't get my posts on time. Apologies. Better late than never, yes? Moving on.

I'm sure you've heard people say that you have to treasure the little things in life. Well, you do, whether you've heard it just once or even a thousand times.


Here are 10 of mine from today, well, from Saturday, I suppose:

1. I was on my way to the art studio tonight when out of the blue, a boy on a longboard offered me a flower. He only said, "I hope you have a great night!" before speeding away, barely giving me time to sputter out a thank you. The bright orange blossom is currently sitting in water in my dorm room.

2. Listening to beautiful Celtic piano music while dancing back from the studio.

3. Breakfast burritos from Chick-Fil-A. (Highly recommend 'em)

4. Time with my roommate. I really hadn't seen her in a couple of days, so it was great to chill with her this weekend.

5. Sleeping on the floor. We have this awesome rug. It's pretty awesome.

6. Chipotle. Chipotle is always great, but it's even better with friends.

7. Fish-sitting! The rooms and I are looking out for our suitemate's betta fish this weekend.

8. I've gotten my roommate and another friend hooked on one of my favorite shows. I highly recommend "Gravity Falls", but you have to have a bit of an off-beat sense of humor to really get into it.

9. This gorgeous weather. It's absolutely lovely.

10. Finally getting all of my laundry done. Best. Feeling. Ever. (Gosh, I feel old.)


What are 10 beautiful things that have happened to you lately? Sometimes the simplest moments can be some of the most wonderful.

Thoughts of Fall

Or autumn, if you prefer.

One thing I miss about fall in Missouri is all the beautiful colors. Around this time of year, the leaves on the trees would transform from a lively green to a bright burst of harvest: yellows, oranges, and reds. If you haven't experienced fall in the Ozarks yet, take my word for it. It's absolutely glorious.

Usually this season is associated with the slow decline of the life cycle, as the leaves leap from their branches into a spiral to the ground, leaving the trees dead and bare for winter.

However, I prefer to think of fall is a time of new beginnings.

Isn't that supposed to be spring, Maggie? you ask.

Kind of.

You see, old things have to pass away before new things can come. The change be almost instantaneous sometimes. But then, before you know it, everything is different.

Photo Creds: Molly Malone
Because she gets to see the fall and I don't. 

In the good ol' U.S. of A., a new school year begins in the fall, bring a healthy mix of dread and excitement. There's college football season (Sic'em Bears!), and the cooler weather means steaming mugs of tea and beautiful scarves.

Tonight is my little brother's senior night at high school. Like his sister before him, he marched in band for four years, gracing the ensemble with his talent and determination to do his very best. This is his final season of marching band, but next fall will be a new beginning for him as he begins college in a new state.

Kevin's senior night. 

My own senior night, so long ago. 

If you can't tell, I'm very proud of him.

Next fall, I begin my first internship in a new country, once again slipping into my globetrotting shoes and journeying to the unfamiliar. I'm a little nervous thinking about it already.

Fall is a season in transition, as old facets of our lives pass away, making way for new ones as we grow and live here on Planet Earth.

It can be bittersweet, but fall is also full of the winds of promise, change, and adventure.

Do as I Say, Not as I do.

It's 5 a.m.

I'm in the library.

But my homework's done.

I have a class at 9.

Has the sun risen yet?

I'm hungry...


Word to the wise, kiddos. Don't pull an all-nighter.

But luckily, I have company with me on this endeavor.

Somebody take away my webcam. Like now. 

In other news. Happy goings-on from my somewhat delirious mind that I want to put into list form just because:

• First away game of the semester is tomorrow. Not only is the new BUGWB going on a bus adventure, but I'll be going to Austin for the first time. 
• I GOT ACCEPTED TO THE LONDON FIE PROGRAM. This means that next fall, I may be studying, working, and playing in LONDON, ENGLAND. I'll admit, I cried when I first read the email. 
• Another notable freak-out session: My first post recently went live on Baylor's Admissions blog, where I'm a staff writer. 
• My swing dancing has improved. I'm still terrible, but not that terrible. :) 
• Caramel macchiatos from the nearby gas station. All of my yes. 
• NEW COLOR GUARD UNIFORMS. Right up there on the good news spectrum with London. 

Study abroad and sparkly uniforms are all I need. Plus a caramel macchiato or two. And maybe a Jack-in-the-Box taco. Or five. 

Or maybe some sleep. Yeah.