I snagged this excerpt out of a Newsweek article. I almost gasped when I read, "the healing effects of forgiveness."

On my drive to work this morning (extra-long as I was leaving from my parents'), I was chugging down the 5, wondering if it's actually possible to live in a stance of grace rather than the usual law and ungrace. I wondered, does grace do any good except in a regenerate life? Is it possible to be regenerate without grace?

I watched the movie Radio this weekend with my mom, dad, older brother, and sister-in-law. All of us except Tyler cried. Sarah Cooper, you would have stood up and cheered. Finally, people were seeing what you have been seeing for years...

The end of the movie was my favorite. They showed clips of the real-life Radio; the one whom, through Cuba Gooding Jr., you had just spent the last 1 1/2 hours falling in love with. He was in his 50s, but still serving as "assistant coach" at the high school he started at.

I decided in the bathroom after the movie that I want to live the kind of story that one could make a movie about, and people would cry for the credits.

I said goodbye to Matt at the airport last night.

I am going to see the Lion King in SanFrancisco for my birthday (in May).

My mom bought me a new sweater, and new shoes this weekend.

The sweater is red.

I get to go see Took (aka Coop, aka my old roommate) in 18 days.

Love, Trace

a 'nother quick highlight: Even though we left at 4:20 a.m. on Sunday morning for the bay area, I got to sleep in the back seat of my parents' durango. Then they paid for the dinner and movie, and bought me a cute little oriental bed stand as an early Christmas present. After saying goodbye to Matt, we drove home from Frisco. I was sound asleep when we pulled into our driveway sometime after midnight. Duke (our yellow lab) greeted me as I stumbled into the house...sometimes I love not being a grown-up.