Beauty and Goodness Are All Around

Life is so crazy.  But I love it.  We are all so busy.  Everybody has their own problems, schedules, dilemmas, joys, etc.  We all walk around in a big hurry passing people everywhere we go.  Sometimes, it is almost refreshing to look at people and try and see who they are.  There is so much more to everyone than meets the eye.  We all have a special depth and something to share.  It takes time for people to find that.  Heck, it takes time for us to find it ourselves.
We are all so enwrapped in our lives.  I am certainly no exception.  These last two weeks have been so crazy busy for me.  With work, three tests, a 15-20 page paper, family visiting, and church responsibilities, life is busy.  But, I think it is healthy and important to take the time everyday to step back and recognize the beauty all around us.
For me, taking the time to feed my spiritual hunger is absolutely vital.  When I read my scriptures diligently, and pray to my Heavenly Father in a frequent and heartfelt manner, life is better.  And yet, I sometimes slip away from that.  How is it possible that I can forget the beauty that that special time of meditation brings into my life?
I guess today I am just needing to remember that there is beauty everywhere.  Even in the things I struggle with and am having difficulties with.  Believe it or not, there is beauty in mathematics, that annoying person in my institute class, figuring out scheduling, and all the other difficult or obnoxious things.  Beauty and goodness is all around us.

School

School.
Oh School.
School is...
Okay, so I really do love school overall.  I love the challenge, the way it stretches my mind, and the way it makes me a better person.  But somedays, school is the bane of my existence.  Mostly it is such because it relates to what I want to do when I "grow up."  I DON'T KNOW!!!  I just don't know for sure yet.  Growing up people always said, "Oh, you will figure it out in high school," which led to, "Oh, you will figure it out on your mission."  Well, now what.  Hmmm.  So school and the whole thought of careers and such stresses me.  Currently, I am a marketing major.  We will see if it stays that way.  But school is good.  With the exception of accounting... and math in general.

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light" - Helen Keller

Friends are such an essential part of everyone's life.  Yet, I think that they play a bit of a different role for everyone.  I feel that some people are much more dependent on their friends than others.  Also, I think people have different needs for friends at different times and seasons of their lives.  I am grateful for the friends that I have and have had in my life.  Something that I have come to realize over the last few months is that friends may be a huge part of one's life for a time and then that friendship may not perpetuate for a long time.  Just because a friendship doesn't last for years and years doesn't mean that that friendship was't significant or that both sides of the friendship didn't value the other.  Sometimes friendships last only temporarily but can still be very impacting in one's life.
I have had many friends that have changed me and helped me to become a better person.  I have learned lessons from many of my friends.  Some friends are "work friends."  Some friends are "school friends."  Some friends are "church friends."  Some friends overlap area and become friends in more than one area in your life.  I think when that happens, that is when you really get to know people.
To my friends - thank you.

"A Happy Family is but an Earlier Heaven." - George Bernard Shaw

My family is so important to me.  I think I all too often take them or granted.  Having recently returned from an LDS mission, I saw and helped a lot of people who weren't fortunate enough to have a family like mine.  I have spent many nights up late wondering why I have been so blessed.  Each person in this world is so different.  We each have different skills, abilities, fear, joys, hobbies, appearances, ambitions, desires, beliefs, trials, and personalities.  This is no less true in my little family.  I am grateful for each one of them.  Each of them has unique things that have blessed my life.

Dad - I definitely took my father for granted growing up.  On my mission I realized just how wonderful he is.  I have always loved him, but I didn't realize just how amazing he is.  My father is a rock, always doing what is right.  He has a heart of gold.  My father is a provider.  He cares about each one of his children and his wife.  He loves BYU football and basketball.  I have oftentimes felt bad for him that I didn't pick up on that hobby too.  Just not my thing I guess.  I love his funny sense of humor and when he gets into his goofy moods.  I love watching cooking shows with him - especially "Good Eats."  I love how grounded my father is.  I love my father.

Mom - My mother is a saint.  I honestly cannot name someone who is more charitable than my mother. She has always been so supportive of me.  I remember one time while visiting her parents in ID, my grandmother was complaining about some of the choices some of her children were making.  I responded by defending my mother and listing off some of her qualities that I thought most important.  She responded by saying, "your mother is all of those things, but the most important thing your mom is is a mother - and a good one."  That has always stuck with me.  I am so fortunate to have a good mother.  She is so funny.  I love when we get in our teasing, joking moods with each other.  She has taught me the importance of righteousness.  I love my mother.

Nicole - Nicole is my best friend.  I love her so much.  She has helped me through so many things.  Nicole is one of the people whom I admire most.  She is so strong.  She sometimes puts on this facade that hides her true strength, but if you can peel back a little ways, you will find a true diamond.  She is so funny in her own adorable way.  She is a peacemaker.  She is loyal.  She is artistic.  She is thoughtful.  She is wise. I miss her so much when she isn't here with us.  I love Nicole.

Christopher - My only brother.  Christopher is so smart.  I must admit - I'm jealous.  But, "we can't all be acupuncturists."  Christopher is extremely talented.  He has some very great skills that will make him a great contribution to society.  Growing up, and sometimes still, we didn't always get along the best.  I think at times it was almost more an issue of similarity opposed to dissimilarity.  We are very different, but we are also very much alike.  He can be so funny.  He loves to have fun and enjoy life - something I think I need to learn from him.  I love Christopher.

Alison - Alison melts my heart.  She is a sweetheart.  She is so loving.  Alison is hilarious.  She is a real crack-up.  I love her cute sense of humor, her sweet little giggle, and funny faces.  Alison thinks of others.  I love how when she gets focused on something it is nearly impossible to peel her away.  She is so goofy.  Sometimes she gets into her "princess mode," but we still love her.  :)  I sometimes wish I knew how to help her realize her true worth.  She is amazing!  I love Alison.

Just The Beginning

I often wish I could articulate myself better.  I usually don't have a hard time expressing the way that I feel or think.  But occasionally, I struggle.  Those who know me best understand that I have very strong opinions about many things.  I do not feel that this is a bad thing.  But, sometimes I don't feel able to express them for a multiplicity of reasons.  I am creating blog this for no real reason.  But, I feel that it can be a place for me to remind myself that I can think, speak, and express.

Probability of me regularly posting - not likely.

But sometimes I just need to have a place to express myself and I hope this can do that for me.