1 week down...

15 more weeks to go until the end of the semester. 

The rest of the week went pretty good, nothing too exciting to report. I studied my butt off for Contracts and actually knew what the professor was talking about during class for once. I also spent several hours making flash cards this week... they seem to really help, but I'm doubting I'll have enough time to keep making them as the semester goes on. 

Here's what has been drilled into my head so far... 

Definitions: 

• Intent- A person acts with intent when the purpose of their actions is to bring about a certain consequence; or the knowledge that a consequence is substantially certain.

We read a case about a 5 year old who pulled out a chair from an elderly woman who fell and broke her hip... He was found liable by the appeals court despite his young age because he acted with the intent of knowing she would fall, even if he didn't think she would get hurt. 

• Battery- The least touching of another person in a harmful or injurious way without their consent. 

We read a case about a black man who had his plate aggressively snatched from his hands by a white guy declaring that a negro could not be served in the restaurant. Despite the fact the aggressor did not touch the man, only his plate, he was still guilty of battery because the object was intimately held by the man. Too bad the racist white dude died before the case went to court, but luckily his place of work was held liable for his actions because they allowed the behavior to happen without reprimand or an apology.

I'm finding as I read cases I get really annoyed. The case I mentioned above went all the way to the Supreme Court before it finally was found in favor for the plaintiff (the guy who had his plate snatched away). R-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s!

Enough about school, I got to spend some time with my family this weekend. My sweet Mamaw, aunt, & uncle came in from TN to see my bro's new baby. My niece is only 11 days old and is perfect I tell ya! She hardly makes a peep unless she's hungry. We even did a little bit of arts and crafts with her by painting her feet and making some ornaments. It took us awhile to get the hang of it and get a squirmy baby's feet to leave a good print, but we did it! My favorite thing that we made was a ceramic sign that says L.O.V.E with the footprints making the V. We also did a baby photo-shoot and the pics turned out so good! If I was allowed to post them I would, but alas she's going to be an anti-Internet baby. The best I can do is show you a picture of our hands together.

(Me, Mamaw, Niece- Three generations)  

I've always loved hands. I know I'm weird, but my Papaw always told me that you could tell a lot about a person by their hands. When I have trouble picturing his face or remembering his mannerisms, I can always count on my brain to be able to remember his hands. I have a very distinct memory of the last few days he was still with us in the hospital holding my hands with his.

I enjoyed spending time with my family this weekend, but I started to desperately miss my Papaw. Watching my Mamaw hold her first great-grandchild, but without the man she raised 5 children and way too many grandchildren with made my heart ache. I miss him all the time, but I'll admit I don't miss him like I did when he first left. Time has continued to go on and his absence has become my new normal. But there are moments when the realization of the depth of his loss hits me out of nowhere and is overwhelmingly painful. In my eyes the sun rose and set with that man. I know most would say to this, "he's watching from Heaven, he's already met that little niece of yours, he's still with you, etc etc" but that doesn't change the fact that we are missing out on him, even if he isn't missing out on us. 

I was incredibly sad that he wasn't here to watch me graduate college, or when he wasn't there for me to call when I got my law school acceptance letter, but it hurts even more knowing he won't be here to hold and influence my niece and my future kids. I miss you desperately and I hope that somehow you know. 

I should probably quit rambling and get to bed. I have to make up for all my lost studying time tomorrow, blah. Law school is a lot of things, but most of all it is way too time consuming. 

-L