Slice of Life Day 20: Peace and Quiet

I went to my grandparents' branch today. My grandpa is president of his branch, which is made up of the six residents of an Orem nursing home. Every Sunday he and my grandma drive five minutes to the nursing home, help move chairs and couches into position, pass out hymn books with over sized print, and help the elderly get from their rooms to the lobby-chapel. Wards in the stake take turns providing a chorister, an organist, priesthood to bless and pass the sacrament, speakers, and a musical number; the meeting lasts less than forty five minutes. It's a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

I went because I wasn't feeling well, because I still wanted to take the sacrament, because I was running late (their church starts 30 minutes later than mine), because I like the serenity of church in the nursing home. When your head is foggy and your throat is sore, it's nice to sit in the company of those whose minds are functioning but their bodies are not. It was so peaceful. The meeting was brief but the spirit was strong. And the messages were tailored to those who were reaching the end of their lives; it gave me an opportunity to reflect: what will I be like when I'm in my eighties or nineties? How will I feel? Will I fear death? Will I welcome it? Will the veil be thin as I prepare to return to my Maker? Will I even realize what is happening around me?

The secrets of the old remain hidden from me, but on a day when I wanted peace and quiet, I found it during the church meeting of six weathered old men and women. My body still felt out of sorts, but my spirit was lifted and I am grateful that I was able to enjoy the Sabbath in the company of strangers: it was just what I needed.

Slice of Life Day 19: Saturday Night

I'm laying on my couch, wrapped in my blanket made out of old t-shirts that I accumulated throughout my high school years, waiting for an episode of NCIS to load, listening to the rain. I'm all by myself, and I don't mind. Some would insist that Saturday night is a time for partying and hanging out and stuff. But I did that last night. And all day today. And I'm tired. So contrary to the norms of college life, I will be spending the rest of my Saturday night quietly and with only a few friends: the rain, my blanket, and the cast of NCIS.

Slice of Life Day 18: Writing About Talking

Tonight I had three interesting conversations.
1: With a friend recovering from surgery. Despite the fuzziness brought on by powerful pain medications, he still made me laugh and inspired me to be better. He walked slowly and he talked slowly, but he made me want to pick up me feet, march on, and finish up the semester on the right note.
2: With a friend that I've known for three years. Sometimes I feel that our relationship is rocky, and that our personalities clash a bit, but tonight, as we talked during a car ride from Orem to Smith's, I felt security in our friendship. We were open and honest and vulnerable, but it was okay because we were and are joined by a friendship that carries on despite our occasional differences.
3: With a friend that I've known for three months. It was during this conversation when I "talked to learn." I love this friend despite our short acquaintance, and tonight I felt that she loves me as well. It is so nice to know that you are loved. I did more talking than she did, and she did more listening than I did, and in the process I was able to come to some important conclusions. She helped with the process of self discovery, and after she left I felt enlightened. She gave me some advice, but mostly she helped me by simply being there, listening intently, all while truly caring about me. It was a wonderful way to end my night.

I'm so grateful for the power of the spoken word and the God-given ability to converse with our fellow human beings.

Slice of Life Day 16: Parts of a Whole

The tops:
Pink with dark red polka-lines.
Outstretched yellow.
Red all wrinkled and scrunchy.

The middles:
Green.
Straight or listing slightly.
Eating light.

The bottoms:
Housed in water and glass.
Drinking all day long, slowly.
Sustaining and supporting.

The flowers on my coffee table.

Slice of Life Day 15: Love is in the Air

The relationship status of the girls living in The Elms 304B:

KO: Engaged
BW: Almost Engaged
HS: Impending Relationship
AH: "He needs to quit dragging his feet and ask me out already!"
CB: "There is a severe lack of tall men in this place."
Me (JC): *twiddling thumbs and disinterested whistling*

I feel like I'm running out of stuff to write about, so I chose to write about the basic atmosphere of our apartment today. Spring is in the air, but so is love. Flowers are budding and blooming, and so are the relationships involving a few females in our apartment. Other flowers lay dormant, and that's about where I am. There are a few guys that I want to ask me out, but I know that they won't, so instead I go on dates with Harold B. Lee, Joseph F. Smith, and David O. McKay. They are good guys, but it would be nice to go on a date where homework and studying are not the main activities. At this point I feel like I should make some sort of resolution to love myself sans boyfriend, or some statement about girl power, or something. But I'm just neutral. Apathetic. Meh. Boys are cool, and I have some great guy friends. But other than planning bridal showers, I think that I'm going to avoid getting sucked into the whirlpool of weddings and weeping and wishful thinking that we call "romance."

Slice of Life Day 14: Daffodils Despite the Darkness

I was on the verge of entering the Mid-Winter Semester Doldrums (nothing a little Spring Break couldn't fix) when some wonderful things happened:

I got an A- on my massive research project that I devoted my life to for over a week and a half. (I gave my teacher a hug because I was so excited.)

I won a book from a drawing! I can't remember the name of it, and I haven't started reading it yet, but the shiny book jacket, the stiff spine, and the witty illustrations are tempting me right now. There is something lovely about receiving a new book, especially a children's book, that awakens a sense of joy and enthusiasm that is rarely provoked by anything else.

I made it to the gym! And I got everything in that I wanted: cardio, biceps, triceps, and some leg muscles that I've forgotten/repressed the names of (leg muscles are my least favorite muscles, despite how helpful they are). I felt awesome afterwords. 

To celebrate Pi Day (3/14) I attended a Pie Party with my ward, and the sense of camaraderie that was present in the party apartment was fantastic. Who knew that so much love and friendship could be present in one room? And it was just because someone wanted an excuse to eat one of the best types of dessert on the planet? I'm so blessed to have such a fantastic ward family: they were the perfect ending to a surprisingly lovely day.

Perhaps the best part of the whole day, though, was the physical metaphor for my day that I saw while I was walking home from campus. The sky was overcast, and it was a little chilly, but when I looked to my right, I saw daffodils emerging from the damp ground; some were simply green shoots, but others where fully in bloom. How wonderful is that? And that's exactly how my day was: I could've been down because of the mid-semester situation, but instead, there were little moments of happiness that managed to make the whole day beautiful.

Slice of Life Day 12 (Posted a Day Late): Fuzz in the Fridge

Today I cleaned out the fridge. It was pretty gross: I encountered fur, frost, and forgotten leftovers of all kinds. But despite the fact that I had some near-barf experiences, I felt so proud when I was done. Everyone's food was in order, things were organized by height, and there is now a general sense of peace in the fridge. Now I'm excited to explore the fridge for meal options, and I know that opening the freezer door won't cause an avalanche. Who knew that cleaning out the fridge would bring such benefits?