THANKFUL FOR: ROWDY ONCE MORE

For those of you who are not aware, in high school I had the privilege of being the high school mascot. This was something totally uncharacteristic of me and something that really got me out of my comfort zone. My name was, “Rowdy The Ricebird” because the school mascot is the Ricebird. (unique I know) I was never a very gifted athlete, but being from a small southern town where being under the friday night lights meant everything, I wanted to be involved! Being Rowdy has taught me many lessons and for that I am so thankful. For example one thing I learned is how compassionate I am when I put my whole heart into something. I feel like I put my whole heart into being Rowdy and that is why my journey as a mascot was so successful. I will admit back in the spring I had my parting with Rowdy, but last week I received a call asking if I would like to be Rowdy one more time for the teacher appreciation luncheon and the kindergarden open house. My immediate answer was of course I would love to!!! So today I put on that suit and danced with Studio Allegro and the cheer squad. I will admit it was not the same without Maycen and Leighton, but it was fun to help kick off the school year for the faculty, kids, and class of 2015. Being the mascot has shown me how much spirit our small town has. Let me tell you it is bigger than anything I could ever imagine. Everyone is so supportive and being Rowdy only brought the spirit level up. Someone once said,” I bet it feels good to be responsible for bringing the spirit back!” I replied , but I didn’t really have time to think about that until later. Being Rowdy has allowed me to leave my mark on Stuttgart and as long as I have done that, I know my high school career was successful. So thank you to everyone who helped me on my journey. From barley moving to learning to shake my tail feathers, it was a blast that I will NEVER forget. I know it may seem silly, but Rowdy will always be apart of me because being Rowdy helped me find out who I am. I will miss it so much this year, but I know it is in good hands. I may never physical me a bird, but inside I am forever Rowdy the Ricebird. The light I saw in children when they saw me. The support from total strangers. The hidden smile at pep rallies. The funny comments. The ability I had to make most three year olds cry at a glance. The best squad. The best friends. The best school. The best coach. The best experience of my life this far. And I have God to thank for it all! Four years ago if you would have asked if I ever thought Id be a mascot, the answer would have been NO. That just goes to show you that God works in mysterious ways! And that is how I know I will be perfectly fine as I start this new chapter. Allow yourself to be adventurous. Trust God. It will make all the difference. Hey, you might literally become a bird! I am thankful for today. I am thankful for this experience. I am thankful for my supporters. I am FOREVER thankful for Rowdy the Ricebird! 
Yours Truly,
Southern and Thankful