Awesome Characters in My Story: JOler and Kerry

JOler (aka The Giver) and Kerry

Today started out with a dash--and not the kind I like to use when I'm writing. More of a harried, dash-to-get-ready-and-then-catch-the-train kind of dash. The kind where I can't even remember if I'm wearing matching shoes so I need to check...several times.

Add to that some big issues weighing on my mind and I was kind of in a funk this morning when I got to the office--the grouchy kind of funk, unfortunately. So it was good that I had spreadsheets to concentrate on and New Kids on the Block music on my iPod to drown out everything else.

Then "adult recess" time came (aka lunch); after having lunch with two of my favoritest people in the world, JOler and Kerry, and some good-natured teasing all around, I felt more like Happy Adele again.

Hooray!

I am tremendously blessed with good people in my life who are kind, generous, and hilarious; who help me in myriad situations, happy or otherwise; and who make me laugh ("Marco..."), especially when I need it most; and who love me for being the crazy person that I am, shame, fears, quirkiness, and all.

As I contemplate the story of my life and those people who are cast in various scenes and situations with me, I feel grateful for a fabulous, divine Casting Director who brings these amazing people into my life.

Who are the main and supporting characters in YOUR story? What roles do they play? What are you learning from them? When was the last time you thanked them for being in your life?

Grateful List, Part 1

I've found that when I'm in a funk, that a good way to get me out of it is to start a "grateful" list. So, here goes!

• I am grateful to be in NYC.
• I am grateful for air conditioning, especially on a muggy day like today.
• I am grateful for running water and indoor plumbing.
• I am grateful for cold water to drink on hot NYC days.
• I am grateful that I have food to eat.
• I am grateful to have a laptop that works.
• I am grateful to have access to the Interwebs.
• I am grateful that I can read and write.
• I am grateful for IM conversations with my best friends.
• I am grateful for any and all communication with my beautiful sister.
• I am grateful for walks to the clean bodega with KShum.
• I am grateful I have a place to sleep.
• I am grateful to breathe.
• I am grateful that I am able to learn and for plentiful opportunities to learn and grow.
• I am grateful for fun times with KShum.
• I am grateful that I haven't seen any mice since KShum installed the plug-in thing.
• I am grateful I have clean clothes to wear.
• I am grateful for all of the generous things KShum does for me (too numerous to list right now).
• I am grateful that my friend Shandy is coming to visit on Friday.
• I am grateful that my bank account is currently above $0.00.
• I am grateful that I have scriptures and inspiring messages to read every day.
• I am grateful to pray.
• I am grateful for second chances.
• I am grateful for the Atonement and repentance.
• I am grateful for friendships of awesome people I admire, people who love and care about me even when I don't see them for a while.
• I am grateful for good parents.
• I am grateful for friends.

Catching up: Couching a Tender Mercy

On my third day in NYC back in May, I had an interview at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Employment office. To say that I was emotional that day would've been a complete understatement: I'd been through...well, quite a bit to even get to NYC. And there I was, finally in the Big Apple as I'd felt for soooo many months that I needed to be, but still uncertain what the #$%@ I was doing there and how I'd survive. (Still don't know the answer to the latter...but that's for another post.)

So when I walked into the foyer of the building where the LDS Employment office was located (the Union Square chapel is in the same building) and saw this familiar-looking couch--one that I've probably seen in dozens of LDS churches all over the world--I almost cried. No, wait: I did cry! I never thought that seeing a green floral print couch would be such a tender mercy. Yet, it was for me on that Friday; it was just what I needed to give me a little boost to keep going a little bit longer. And for me, that couch was a little "love note" from Heavenly Father telling me that He knew where I was and what I needed.

A green floral tender mercy

What familiar objects have meaning to YOU?

I Remember

"Where were you when the Towers fell?"

That is a question people of this generation ask, just like people of my mother's generation ask "Where were you when JFK was shot?"

I'll tell you where I was when the Towers fell. I was sitting in the John A. Widstoe building on the BYU campus, waiting for my Honors New Testament class to start. Melanie, my roommate, and I had dropped her car off on Condo Row with her sisters and walked up to campus early that morning; when I got to my classroom, I had about 45 minutes until my class started so I was studying my scriptures and preparing for my day.

As I sat alone in the classroom on what seemed to be "just another day," I heard a low rumble of noise in the hallway, which I attributed to normal hallway conversation. But the low rumble grew into a clamorous distraction. Before I could stand up and walk out to the hallway to find out what was going on, a fellow student--a stranger--poked his head into the room and queried me, "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" I responded, thinking through a short list of plausible "what" scenarios.

"The plane crash in NYC? The terrorists?" he probed.

All I could do was stare at him with terror etched in every feature. Terrorists? Plane crash? NYC? Had I fallen asleep? Was I having another one of those life-like dreams--and was I going to wake up, laugh at how real this felt, and go on my merry way of "normal life"?

Unfortunately, it was no dream. That day, September 11th, the world changed for all of us--a waking nightmare that none of us has been able to awake from.

On this day when we honor the 10th anniversary of September 11th, I remember.

I remember and honor the sacrifices made, the service given, the humanity shown, the unity displayed, and the lives lost.

I also remember today that the nightmare continues and that today as our nation remembers these events, the fight goes on: we still have men and women overseas fighting a war that commenced almost 10 years ago--men and women who have mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, neighbors, friends, and colleagues who pray for their safe return.

I remember and pay tribute to those we've lost, to those who continue to serve, and to those who prayerfully wait. And I pray for all of them. If ever we needed to heed our nation's motto of "in God we trust," it is now. Let us remember to trust in God as this battle against terrorism continues.

I Am...wait for it...Awesome!

On my commute this morning, I was thinking about how great I am.

Now, I know that sounds pretty arrogant, so let me explain the context: friends of mine recently told me that I was too reluctant to acknowledge the wonderful things that I am able to accomplish with God's help, and that by doing this I wasn't honoring God to the fullest. I took those words to heart; I've since made a concerted effort to look for the hand of the Lord in my life and see ways in which He helps me to be the best me I can be.

Recording what I see will also help me, so you'll notice the next series of blog posts will be about this theme. My hope is that I can honor God by honoring the good from Him in me. It's a new concept for me (I'm usually the first one to point out my weaknesses)--but I hope it is one I can embrace and incorporate into my life.

So, my first post on this subject is simply this: I am awesome!

Remembering to Be Grateful

Judy sent this link to me. (Thanks!)

The comedian says, "Everything is amazing and nobody's happy." Intriguing...and very true.

Awesome Things

A friend sent me a link to a website called 1000 Awesome Things. It's a substantial list--1,000 to be exact--and has some very interesting entries. Reading through the list led me to ruminate on the 'awesome things' in my life. What awesome things do I see, experience, or enjoy in my life? I decided to create a list of my own.

• The feeling of calm and peace I feel when I'm in the temple. (This is especially blissful since I'm normally a very anxious person.)
• Hearing someone you love reciprocate with "I love you."
• The overwhelming joy and gratitude I feel when I see the Lord's hand in my life--and how He pays attention to the details.
• The feel of a down comforter wrapped around me.
• A hug from someone who possesses the 'gift of hugging' -- the security and peace I feel when wrapped in that embrace.
• Making other people laugh when I say something witty.
• Following a small impression and seeing how the Lord uses me to answer someone else's prayer.
• Dancing--anytime, anywhere--and how I can get lost in the movements and be transported to a blissful haven. 
• Playing 100 games of "Go Fish" with a nephew--and hearing his endless stream of jokes.

• Enduring to the end of a particularly harrowing experience and feeling the joy of overcoming.
• Purple. The color makes me happy.
• Losing myself in a well-written book.
• The delight of insight and making connections in the scriptures that leads to further discovery.
• The synergy and edification that occurs when discussing the Gospel with Emily and Judy. I love to learn from them!
• Chocolate chip cookies made with oatmeal (especially from Hagermann's Bakery) and cold fat-free milk. Yum!
• The turquoise water at the falls of Havasupai.   

• The endorphins surging through my body after I exercise. I feel that I could take on the world!
• Hearing my dad's voice when I call him crying. Sometimes a girl, no matter what age she is, just needs her Daddy.
• The crunch of leaves under my feet.
• The smell of lilacs. 
• Feeling the sun on my skin, especially after being in the cold, air conditioned building.
• Seeing the Lord answer my prayers and my needs through someone else.
• Singing my testimony and having the Spirit testify that what I'm singing is true.
• Sleeping in.
• Finding just the right word or phrasing to encapsulate the meaning I desire, a la Elder Neal A. Maxwell.
• My car, Chad. He is very good to me and endures well all of the stress I put on him. Plus, he likes to go fast as I do.
• Sunrise on the beach.

• A note from a friend who just wanted to say "I love you, you are important to me."
• Hearing one of my favorite songs on the radio and singing along.
• Creating. 
• Sleep.
• Someone else doing my dishes for me.
• Feeling understood and valued.
• Someone I respect wanting to spend time with me.
• Learning 'big words' and incorporating these into my vernacular.
• Cathartic writing. 
• Trees make me happy: decorating my house with pictures of them; walking through a forest of trees; seeing the first leaves sprouting in the Spring after a long winter; soaking in the breathtaking colors of leaves in the Fall; researching the ancestors in my own family tree. 

• Finding a 'kindred spirit.'
• Inside jokes. Inserting inside jokes into conversations and making someone laugh.
• Being authentic and feeling loved and accepted for who I am--feeling safe enough to 'just be.'
• Camping with my dad and sister in the backyard.
• Receiving revelation.
• Flip flops that allow my feet to not be claustrophobic.  
• A phone call from a friend I haven't talked to in many years.
• Dustin--someone who loves unconditionally and makes me feel like the most important woman in the world. I soooo love you, Dust!

Almost the Best, Second Only to the Best

If I had to rate my best friend Judy on a scale of one to ten, she'd probably be a thirteen (extra credit points for having great hair). Judy is the kind of person you want to have around for any time in your life:

• If you are sad, she is a "good-job" listener and she looks for ways to help you feel happy
• If you are happy, she rejoices with you and makes that happiness feel even sweeter
• If you are confused, she supports your efforts to find the answers and shares her faith that Heavenly Father *will* come through
• If you are afraid, she knows how to "talk you off the ledge" and bring you back to rational ground
• If you are stressed, she knows the magic formula for stress relief--i.e., BYU chocolate milk, Barbara's cheese puffs, and a massage from Janet, the most amazing massage therapist ever.

And Judy thinks I'm funny, which makes me feel better about myself; she should probably get another extra credit point for that.

Relatively speaking, Judy and I haven't been friends for very long (we've known each other 5-ish years and have been best friends for 4 of those), but we've been through more in the few years than most people endure in a lifetime. I couldn't have survived what's happened during the last 4 years if she hadn't been my BFF (best friend forever). I feel tremendously grateful to Heavenly Father for anticipating my needs and bringing Judy into my life. Judy, I keep you!

Sometimes I imagine that Judy and I will someday be as cool, as spiritual, as funny, as wise, and as close as are best friends Sheri Dew and WendyWatsonNelson (aka Wendy Watson Nelson, wife of LDS apostle Elder Russell M. Nelson). When I listen to "The Savior Heals without a Scar" and hear WendyWatsonNelson's story about injuring herself in Albany and of Sheri's calm collectedness and invaluable help...I imagine that a similar story could be told of me and Judy. (Judy, who is definitely more calm, collected, and compassionate than I am, would be the Sheri.) But more than that, I hope that my friendship with Judy will continue to grow as life changes come our way and we aren't "identical twins" in our life situations. Based on the events/changes over the last few months, there is great hope that Judy and I will be just fine.