I Tried Carrying the Weight of the World, but I Only Have Two Hands

Work, class, devotional, class, work, homework. Yep. My day was full. Funny thing though. Somewhere along the line of the time I have been in college with my crazy schedule I made some friends.

I got a letter from a sister missionary. I love and miss her. Getting to write my two girls, Aubryann and Alyssa, makes my day each and every time. They were beautiful inside and out before they left, but now I can feel the glow of Christ radiate from each word they write. Then, while trying to decide whether or not to get ahead on my homework, my friend Christina showed up with dinner. I ate cheddar broccoli soup in a bread bowl tonight. About halfway through I thought to myself, "This is heaven." Then I looked and realized what I was eating. Broccoli. Who would have thought?!? I had a friend make me dinner. Tomorrow I get to take a break from homework and I am spending some time with Janessa when I get off work. In class yesterday, one of my teachers used one of my answers on an assignment in her powerpoint. Someone asked where it was from and she told them it was from my paper. I now have a study group for the test in that class. At work I was invited to go to a scary movie night on Friday. Saturday I get to go and celebrate Kennedy's birthday. Sunday I get to drive up in the canyon to see the beautiful fall colors. And... Last but not least, Dani asked me to be a bridesmaid. Wait. I have friends?

Devotional today was about going out and getting involved on campus. I did something right freshman year. I got involved in BYUSA and did a couple of things with Student Alumni. Sophomore year I had BYUSA all day every day. This year I have Student Alumni, SFLSA, and Y-Serve. I have friends from all of them, and I am so thankful for that. The speaker, Brother Cox, said if we don't extend our hand out to others, there will be no one to miss us when we're gone. I am thankful to know I would be missed. The most powerful memories of college come from incidents and experiences outside of classes. He also referenced President Monson's talk that he gave at BYU in 2007. I loved a quote from this talk, and I did not even know where it came from. I am so thankful for the experiences I have had in my journey through BYU. The fun, the hard laughs, the late nights, the amazing friends, the heartaches, the adventures, and even the trials. Odysseus said, "And if a god will wreck me yet again on the wine dark sea, I can bear that too, with a spirit tempered to endure. Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now in the waves and wars. Add this to the total--bring the trial on!" This just reminded me of the poem Invictus which made me smile.

A little old lady came to speak in one of my classes yesterday. As the bell was ringing she began a story. No one got up to leave. She said to compare yourself to a carrot, an egg, or hot chocolate. When you put each one in boiling water, they all go through the same adversity, but they each have different outcomes. The carrot goes in strong but comes out softened and easily hurt. The egg goes in fragile but comes out hardened by the trial. The hot chocolate on the other hand, changes the very state of the water making something new and delicious. She asked us, "Which one are you?" I sure hope I'm the hot chocolate! First off, we all know it's the best one, but most importantly, I want to be able to come out stronger and better after trials. 

This little old lady also taught me a valuable lesson. Her husband died in his sixties after she watched him literally lose his mind to Alzheimer's throughout nine years. After he died, she decided to make the most of her life. She has a doughnut for breakfast every morning. One day she went to the doctor because she wasn't feeling well. He told her she needed to start eating better. She needed more colors on her plate. So, when she got home she poured a bowl of M&Ms and enjoyed. She said she did feel better after that. She passed out M&Ms, and I enjoyed life all throughout the day. 

So, after only a couple of days I feel like I have been through a journey. I have learned so much, and I am going to follow Boyd K. Packer's advice and never make the same mistake once. I am going to stay close to my friends. They mean the world to me. Cheers to my crazy beautiful life. Never forget my dear friends, that happiness isn't smiling but believing.