Brooklyn

This is Brooklyn. When we were five we hated each other. We would fight, bite, hit, scratch each other until blood was drawn. Don't fret- we have grown up. She moved away to Maryland- I went to visit. She moved back and we became the best of friends. She recently was married to Mike Clement- he is a stud. He is absolutely perfect for her. I love them. This last Tuesday was a very special temple day for me. I was able to do a session with Brooklyn. She is being deployed on Saturday. I am worried. She is not. That is the major difference about us. Everything stresses me out- nothing can touch her. I am scared of dirt, bugs, spiders- she is not. She is my hero. I look up to her in so many things. I am so proud of her. She has been such an amazing influence for good, not only in my life- but in the lives of everyone she has met. I will miss her oodles, but I know that she is doing what she is supposed to do. I am so thankful for her, her husband Mike, my aunt Kelly and everyone else who is serving this country. Bless them. They sacrifice so much- so that I can keep my freedom. I am proud to be her cousin and proud to be American.

the vow to forgive

So my little sister and I rented "The Vow". It is a tragic, happy, sappy lovey-dovey romance. I loved it. BUT there was a line that really stuck out to me. 

The mom is talking to the main girl {Paige} about why she stayed with her husband when he cheated... she says,

"I chose to stay with him for all of the things he did right, rather than the one thing that he did wrong. I chose to forgive him."

Now I am not saying that if you are in a bad situation like her that you need to stay and be abused in any way- but I do think that she has a good point. Even if she did not stay with him- she CHOSE to forgive him. Forgiveness is a choice we make that ends up making us better people.

 Forgiveness is hard. Healing is hard. For anyone who has felt betrayed, lost, confused and in a very real sense heart-broken and hard-hearted. It does not have to be from a bad break-up, but it can be. It does not have to be from a messy home situation, but it can be. It does not have to be from feeling used and abused, but it can be. But I know that no matter how hard forgiveness can be- it is worth it. Whether you are forgiving yourself or forgiving someone else- forgiveness brings healing and recovery. It makes life go back to normal- or as normal as it can be.

you know you are OLD when...

High schoolers become "kids" and as they smile and hand you your groceries you become "ma'm"

You say things like "sick" thinking they are still "in" when you are told to stop trying to act like you are still a teenager by your 15 year-old sister

Your body can no longer handle staying up past nine- let alone doing a full week of all- nighters

Half of your pay check goes to FICA and the other half goes to insurance

You have things like car payments, phone bills, etc.

When you buy clothing not because it is cute- but because it is comfortable

You can do "big kid" things like buying dry ice and renting a rug doctor....

Friday nights consist of coming home from work and heading straight to bed


Yes, these all apply to me...and yes, I have finally come to accept- and even embrace the fact that I am "old" :)