Gratitude

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do a thankfulness post while it was still November. This is certainly not a comprehensive list, but these are a few of the things that make me glad to be alive.

1. My family. This one is mandatory for this sort of list, particularly when most of my readership is family, but it's very heartfelt also. I love my family -- my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, my cousins and aunts and uncles, and my parents. They're wonderfully supportive, fun, and inspiring. I also very much love our family's in-law club. The club makes me laugh whenever I think of its exclusive membership and quirky traditions; and I'm so glad they're a part of our family now!

2. My religion. I'm so grateful for the Church, for scripture, for prayer, for prophets and temples, and for the knowledge that a just and loving God cares about me and my family. This brings me great peace. I can't imagine my life without it.

3. My friends. I had a difficult time forming friendships as a child (and sometimes as an adult), and I think this has made me particularly grateful for the friends I have. They're wonderful, and each one adds a richness to my life that would be lacking without him or her. (That's the problem with the "each one" construction; we get into this nonsensical him/her stuff. But I can't just put "him," either, because Travis would wiggle his eyebrows significantly, and I think it best to avoid that.)

4. My gifts. This may sound a bit conceited, but I'm happy to be who I am. I know I'm not the world's most beautiful, intelligent, talented, or angelic person, but that's okay. I appreciate what I do have. I decided a long time ago not to waste my life wishing I had someone else's figure, or hair, or life, or whatever. When I'm old and dumpy, with no teeth and little hair, I want to look back and remember that I appreciated my health and looks while I had them. And although I hope by then to have increased in wisdom and virtue, I still think it's good for me to remember that I do have some already. I'm lucky to have many people in my life who love me accept me for who I am and what I can become, and I do, too.

5. Beauty. Seeing beauty fills my heart with happiness. And so many things are beautiful, if we stop and think about it. A few things I think are beautiful are flowers, trees, and sunshine; truth, loyalty, and sacrifice; quilts, clothes, and paintings; books, movies, and music; puppies, birds, and babies; loved ones, friends, and strangers. It's true that there are many ugly things in this world, but it is also a world of beauty, and that's what I choose to remember.

6. Things that make me laugh. For example, if you turn on our kitchen sink just right, you can spray someone sitting at the dining room table ten feet away. Perhaps someday that ought to be fixed, but in the meantime, it always makes me laugh. (Not that I have actually intentionally gotten anyone with it, yet, but I always forget, and then I laugh when I turn it on and -- remember.)

Well, there's a lot more, but I think that's sufficient for now. Happy late Thanksgiving, everyone! And happy start of the holiday season! (So exciting! It's nice to be in the US for this time of year!)

The Hobbit

I think most of the people who read this blog are family. And most of them would probably find this interesting, so I'll post it here.

Okay. Now what?

One of my earliest memories is escaping from my bedroom at nap time (I think I had to get out of a crib, but I could be making that up), going into the next room, and defiantly announcing to Mom that I was "too old to take naps!"

Mom barely looked up as she said, "Okay."

That threw me off balance. I'd been expecting to have to fight about it. I thought I'd probably get put back into my room and I'd have to escape again. I assumed I'd spend the whole hour campaigning for a free nap time, and here I was suddenly given what I wanted with comparatively no effort at all.

I went out of the room and thought to myself, "Okay. Now what?"

Today I went to my last college class. I'm going to graduate in a week and a half, and I feel just like I did when I was suddenly given my hour of nap time to use how I wanted. People ask me if I'm excited, and I suppose I am, but somehow I feel more disconcerted, like the fight to get what I wanted was over before I expected, before I had time to dream what I was going to do when I was free.

No worries, though, everyone. I'm sure I'll figure out how to keep myself occupied. There's always something else to fight for.

We're Home

So, I suppose late is better than never to update about everything. We're all home from India now. Mom, Dad, and our sister Cindy came out to Vizag on Thanksgiving Day, and the next day Becky and I went with them to tour around India for a month. We got back to the States just before Christmas. Perhaps sometime I'll write a bit more about that month, but that probably won't happen for a while. We'll see.