Why I Love SPOP

Oh how I love spring break. It is just a wonderful time; great weather, no school related stress, and time to see old faces. It really is one of the best seasons of the year. That said, this spring break has also had it's share of being somewhat mentally tiring.

One thing that sparked one of my many trains of thoughts was something that I read in one of my friend's blog. His dad was undergoing surgery for the same exact thing my grandpa had. From what I read so far, it seems like his father is doing fine and I'm glad to hear that.

I think my grandpa plays a large role why I hold SPOP so close to my heart. The year I went to SPOP was the same year that my grandpa passed away. SPOP was one of the greatest experiences of my life. My staffers were the best staffers in the world and have impacted me in so many ways that I cannot express in words. The biggest reason why I wanted to be a staffer was to emulate them and impact so many others the way they impacted me. Now looking back at SPOP after this previous year and after reading my friend's blog, I really believe the reason why I love SPOP so much is because it created an alternate reality for me to escape to.

My folks planned for me to attend SPOP the weekend before my grandpa's funeral. The way they set it up was, I attend SPOP for three days and right after it ends I go to the airport and was flown out Sacramento for the funeral. I can still remember my parents dropping me off at Mesa court, telling me to make sure I leave as soon as possible so I won't miss my flight. It was hard going to some orientation for a college that I didn't want to go to and knowing that right after I had to say goodbye to someone I love. Yet, my staffers have accomplished the impossible and lifted my spirits in a way that many others couldn't. They helped me escape the harshness of reality long enough for me to finally accept the fact that he is gone, but I will someday be reunited with him. For the first time I cried not because I was mad or sad, but because I was happy. It was then and there I fully understood what tears of joy were. I never had the chance to tell them how grateful I was for them being there and just providing a friendly atmosphere. Even when I staffed with one of my own staffer, I was still never able to tell her how thankful I was. So I want to thank my staffers now (Larry, Lilly, Chris, Donald, J-Chou, and Erin) for helping me smile during a period of my life where it was hard to.