It's a Wonderful Life

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessiings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along, The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

- Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-19




For the last few days I've been thinking a lot about gratitude. It's been on my mind more often than not, and sadly, I have found myself sorely lacking in the aforementioned department. I have no rhyme or reason to why the subject has been on my mind, other than that the Lord knows I need to pay more attention to my very blessed, insulated, mostly peaceful world. These are in no particular order, but I feel the need to share some of the things I am blessed with. Call it a thank-i- mony.

I am thankful for warm blankets. Sleeping is just so much better when you are completely cozy and comfortable.

I am thankful for incredible roommates. Sometimes you just need a girlfriend to laugh with, grouse at, and have someone to screw your head back on straight when it comes off your shoulders and spews green vomit.

I am thankful for comfortable shoes. Living three quarters of a mile from campus when campus is all uphill from your current location can and does wreak havoc on the unprepared individual's feet.



I am thankful for medicine. It keeps me in more or less running condition, figuratively speaking, and is greatly to blame for my steadiness and lack of imagination.

I am thankful for cold, clean water after a long hike uphill. It's a great reward for my scramble at ten minutes to the hour when I should have left ten minutes before that.

I am thankful for spandex. My skirt flew up today. As in completely. As in completely mortifying.

I am thankful for those split seconds of inspiration and revelation that allow me to be successful and stay somewhat coherent during the week.

I am thankful for priesthood leaders who are gentle with me, and see my potential, even when I can't.



I am thankful for inspired professors, who both teach me in a gospel oriented way, and get me to think about worldly issues, especially as they pertain to myself, and a possible future career.

I am thankful for Aveeno stress relief lavendar lotion. It relaxes me like little else.

I am thankful for the blessing of a strong mind, and determination, even after I achieve a state of brain smashedness.

I am thankful for wise parents, who allow me to flounder occasionally where it's still shallow enough to touch the bottom.



I am thankful for being bullheaded. I probably wouldn't be where I am today without that little streak of personality.

I am thankful for men who honor their priesthood, and equally importantly, womanhood. They make me want to be a better person, and to live worthy of being a future mother to their children.

But most of all, I am thankful for a loving Elder Brother and Lord who picks up all the slack when I can't handle it anymore. I am thankful for the power of prayer, of the priesthood, and of blessings. I am thankful for the good fortune to have been born where, when and into the family that I have.



I am challenging myself to come up with two blessings every time I put something in my mouth. I'm hoping that I'll learn to think of my blessings more often than my challenges. That's the theory, anyway.

Oh, and I'm thankful for gum.