A Leaf in the River

Life is transitory. Things will and do change. This Thanksgiving, I worked. I was also away from my immediate family. Both firsts for me.

Yesterday my cousins, Kira and McKenzie, were playing with hole punchers that cut out shapes of people. Kira called for me to come look at their work, “Come see our timeline!” she said.
“A timeline? A timeline of what?”
McKenzie, embarrassed, hid it under the table and said, “It was Kira’s idea!”
She finally conceded to showing me and I read the title on top: “Timeline of Love.”

Later, when I came back to the table they had filled more of it in. The timeline started with the couple at Olive Garden, the boy sporting a blue “BYU Cougars” shirt. Next came their wedding, the girl dressed in white, “Look, I made her dress modest!” Kira explained. Next came the first baby, then “passing on.” The timeline was short, but it was precise. It was exactly the way that love works.

A cookie cutter life: The perfect BYU boy, the modest wedding dress, and the first baby.

Life is transitory. Things will and do change. That simple, perfect childhood dream changes and molds to fit who you need to become, who God needs you to become. You work on Thanksgiving. You gain a greater appreciation of family. You keep your eye out for the boy in the “BYU Cougars” shirt. You trust the changes and like a leaf flowing in the stream, you follow the flow of the river. After all, the Creator knows much better than you which current you should follow.

The Scriptures and The Savior

These are two HUGE lifesavers for me.

Everyday I am gaining a greater appreciation of what Christ really did for me.
I am so blessed.

Angels

I'm grateful for people who make me better everyday. For people who lift and inspire me, who make me set goals and expect me to stick to them. I'm grateful for people who are incredible exemplars of Christlike love. I can be like them.

Simplicity

"The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him."
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

What I'd Like to Be Remembered By

This is a conversation I had with a kid at work:

Kid: "Do they bite?"
Me: "No, they're nice animals."
Kid: "Is that why they're always smiling?"
Me: "Haha, sure."
Kid: "Like you!!"

First things First

As fate would have it, both of my Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary's were this summer. That meant that my family and I got to spend two weeks in Idaho and Utah with our extended Davis and Mickelsen relatives. This could not have been more perfect for me.

You see, when your family is all together, undisturbed by anything or anyone else, you realize how important they are. Sure, you're all quirky or loud or clumsy or opinionated, but in the end, you're all family. And when you're part of a family, you're part of something much bigger. Even with zero emotional attachment, you're part of someone else. And in the case of my big families, you're part of several someone else's. It's beautiful really. God knew that sometimes we would get lonely in this life, so he gave us an immediate safety net, an unwavering support group. And because of that, we must always remember, that Family comes first. Always. I believe it was Elder Nelson who said that Salvation is an individual matter, but Exaltation is a family matter.

Congratulations Grandma and Grandpa Mickelsen and Davis. It's really incredible what you've started.

Mountains

The mountains in Provo are beautiful. For the last eight months of my life they were the constant I needed. In a time of new experiences and great learning they served as a symbol of the steadfast nature of God. They reminded me that while the world around me was changing by the second, God is always there.

As I drove out of Provo, I looked again to the mountains and realized that from my home in California, I would no longer be able to see them. That physical symbol, that had comforted my heart for so long, would not be in plain sight.

Still, God is there. His power and influence is real. He loves us.
"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." --Doctrine and Covenants 84:88