Unknown.

Hello world, I have a gift for you. I can't give it to you now, nor will it be something new. I have it already, it's somewhere, okay, I don't know exactly where it is right now. Or what it is for that matter. But it was given to me, and I know it's something only I can give to you. It might be something great, something a lot of people can enjoy, or maybe just a few.

It's my gift. Whatever it may be. Whether that be music, writing, teaching, medicine, or sometimes even poetry. I'm still young, so I don't know yet what it is I have to offer the world, but I think it's starting to be narrowed down for me. The extraneous branches are dying and being removed. The ones that will flower are being pruned. And all the while I'm making sure that my connection to the Vine is strong and healthy.

That connection is getting stronger, quickly, with nutrients running through its vascular tissues like Seabiscuit. I know now I can't live without the Vine; it's my source for everything.

But climbing out of my metaphor, this is what's happening to me: My world is being rocked. I think my "gift" will end up being something I never imagined for myself: something for the Church. And however that may excite and humble me, for it would be my honor to give back to the Church that's given me so much, it scares me worse than the idea of standing in the middle of the Quad naked. I would have to be just as vulnerable; but it would be what I do the rest of my life, not just a moment of mortification.

It also brings a lot of challenges. Convincing my parents would be at the top of the list, they aren't exactly thrilled with my choice of lifestyle. Paying for the private Catholic college I'm now feeling so strongly pulled towards would be a close second. But I know if this is where my gift lies, I'm going to find it, harvest it, and give it back, no matter how many hours of work I need to spend plowing and sewing the seeds. Because I know that whatever my gift is, it's what I was born to do, what will bring me the most joy, and give the world absolutely everything that could possibly come from all five feet, two inches, and ninety-five petite pounds of me.

I am Kat. Hear me roar.