this could be a special day

It was Noahs ark last week! Seriously the rain was coming down so much that you couldn't even see the trees. I had to crawl into bed with my roommate Katie after the thunder started to sound like sonic booms.




Also Ive been eating ice cream and chocolate as if its my job lately. It kind of has made me sick actually, but its so delish. I ate it for breakfast and dinner the other day. I watched the sun come up and had a dish, and then before bed I helped myself to another dish.
One of these nights after I had a bowl of ice cream, I was like gasping for air lying in bed and couldn't figure out why. I asked everyone if its allergy season, but Ive come to the conclusion its because of eating so much ice cream, maybe my arteries are clogged. Anyway this restlessness and noisy weather conditions lead me to do a lot of thinking, and I want to start living my life.

I realized I say yes' to so many things out of obligation, and I don't want to live like that anymore. Life is far too short to do things that we don't want to do. Even if it means not being the nicest person in in the world. I book myself so much sometimes that when I am not booked I feel like I should be booked and can't relax. Its terrible.

So I made a promise to myself that I'm not going to do school stuff on the weekends, kind of how Sundays are dedicated to spending time with the Lord, I'm dedicating the weekends to complete and total relaxation. (Imaging myself with shades on sitting by a poolside)


(Look at this mature couple, I don't know them personally but don't they look carefree?)

Its so important to do what you love. Like, art. I love it. And dont do it enough. I love the smell of linseed oil, using my hands, getting dirty, feeling like I'm jumping into another body, and making beautiful things, I even like some ugly things too.

It just makes me so happy. So this weekend even though my body was feeling super weird, as if I had menopause (and thats not true because I'm so young), I felt this dart of happiness appear in the exact center of my heart. A bulls eye. And I know its because I was doing what I love.

We met Gandhi's grandson. He spoke at HPU and everyone kept referring to him as, "Mr. Ghandi" which I thought was funny. There was this sweet reverence about this man. I felt like when I met him, it was as if I was meeting a prophet or something.

People asked him all sorts of questions, about war, terrorism, Egypt, about parenting. Something profound was his take on parenting. He said that parents and children need to have mutual respect for one another. So when he was a child if he or his brother were being ornery, the parents would fast, not eat anything and saying they were "bad parents". Mr Ghandi would feel so guilty, him and his brother didn't want to do that bad thing again.

He was such a cool guy. I also felt impressed that if we live a good life, not only will we be blessed and respected, but our children and grandchildren will be too.

Also we went to the Salvation army this weekend, and I felt like giving this man a piece of my mind because he kicked Hyrum out of his dressing room, right as he was in using it. I was so confused.

Luckily I thought of Ghandi and what we just learned about how even verbal aggression is violence. I want to be an ambassador for peace too but I still want to stick up for my friends.

Anyway, I think the way to make peace is different for everyone. But I think we all should use our talents, or to practice them at least. As if sharpening a pencil, only its the mind, our hands, or the heart. This is the way to peace I think, just sharpen away, and then when you need to fix something, you will be able to in your own unique way.

This is a special day, full of opportunities! I just love this story that President Monson tells....

A few years ago I read the account of a man who, just after the passing of his wife, opened her dresser drawer and found there an item of clothing she had purchased when they visited the Eastern part of the United States nine years earlier. She had not worn it but was saving it for a special occasion. Now, of course, that occasion would never come. In relating the experience to a friend, the husband said, “Don’t save something only for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion.”

That friend later said those words changed her life. They helped her to cease putting off the things most important to her. Said she, “Now I spend more time with my family. I use crystal glasses every day. I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket if I feel like it. The words ‘someday’ and ‘one day’ are fading from my vocabulary. Now I take the time to call my relatives and closest friends. I’ve called old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I tell my family members how much I love them. I try not to delay or postpone anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.”

-President Monson


Hopefully I will be able to take these things to heart and just relax and enjoy life more! Sometimes we forgot that's what we are here to do! Love everyone.