The Value of Kindness

Today I had the great opportunity to see the effects of a good deed I did a few weeks ago. I don't tell this story to toot my own horn, but to make a point. Here's how it went:

Once upon a time, I went to Chick-fil-a at least once a week for the first half of the semester. I noticed in all my times going, that there was one girl who worked there who seemed extra special. I know that Chick-fil-a is known for their friendly employees, but this girl was really something else. Her kindness was more sincere than the required politeness. And she had the most beautiful smile that I've ever seen in my life. So a few weeks ago I went into the restaurant for lunch. I decided that I wanted to tell that girl that I thought she had a beautiful smile and that I appreciated how sweet she was. So I did. When I was finished eating, I asked her to refill my cup, and then I gave her the compliment. I just did it because I figured that it would make my day if someone said something like that to me. I went on my way hoping that I had brightened her day a little bit.

Now fast forward to today. I went back to Chick-fil-a for the first time since that incident. It just so happened that this same girl was the one that took my order. She didn't say anything about our last interaction, but I could tell she remembered. This time she treated me like I was her friend. We talked about our weekend plans while she was taking my order and getting my drink. Then as I was leaving, she went out of her way to come ask me if I wanted her to tip off my lemonade before I left.

I don't know if I did this story justice, or accurately described the tenderness of the whole thing. But the point of the story is this. Three weeks ago, I extended a little kindness to a stranger, and I had no way of knowing that nearly a month later, I would still be able to see the effects of that. So never hesitate to be kind to someone. You never know what it will mean to them.

PS- If you haven't seen the video "Validation", you really should. The link is on the side of my blog.

Dancing Queen

Who is the dancing queen? That would be me. I am the dancing queen. I love to dance!!! I don't know which style is my favorite. Ballroom is elegant and beautiful. The Tango is my favorite ballroom dance. That passion is so fun to get into. Then there's Big Band Swing. That genre is just fun and challenging. It also looks incredible when you do it well. And last of all is Country Swing. This one is just fun and super social. Also, it is the only genre that I would dare try to sing along to while I danced (just saying...) So I'm going to tell you all about my Country Dance class and the project we just did.

So way back in the day I took the beginning county swing class twice. I won't lie. I was a pretty good dancer by the end of all that. Then I left on my mission. When I came home, I signed up for the intermediate country swing class. It's basically the same class, except this time around you learn the moves a lot quicker, and learn a few extra lifts that are cool. The big thing with the intermediate class is that you get to choreograph a dance and perform it at the Fun Park. So my teacher assigned partners. I got paired up with Steven who is definitely one of the best dancers in the class. The class split into two groups and we started choreographing to the song Looking for a Good Time, by Lady Antebellum. Steven and I were put into the most advanced group within our group. The two of us choreographed the routine that we used in the chorus'. That was great, but when it came our advanced group's routine Steven and I struggled. We were doing a move called "Set Your Sails". To do this move, the girl kicks her legs up, and basically just holds them up in the air while the boy holds her upside down on his shoulder while he spins around. Steven could do it with anyone else, I could do it with other people, we were just struggling to do it together. It was rough. But somehow we were able to pull it off beautifully in the performance.

We also struggled with the very end of the song. We legitimately didn't learn that part until the day of the performance. Whoops. And the very last move was a killer. It's was this weird lift where the guy basically breaks his wrist and squeezes the girl's ribs until they snap. It was brutal. Combine that with being sick and achy, I thought I was going to die. My ribs are still in extreme pain from the experience. At the very last minute someone showed us an alternative move that basically looked about the same, but was a ton easier. We choose to do that one instead. And basically, we knocked it out of the ball park. It was fantastic. Everything came together perfectly. We got both parts down so no one would ever know that we had been struggling. Go team go!!!

Blessed Assurance

Today has been a sweet Sabbath, filled with lots of tears. Sad, pitiful tears. But such is life. I went to church this morning and invited a visitor to sit by me. She was sweet, and it was much needed for both of us, I think. I was fine during the first hour of classes, but in the second hour of classes, things started to go downhill. I found my thoughts wondering as I reflected on the last four months of my life and reviewing some of my happier memories from that time frame. But then I found myself wondering how long it is acceptable to keep doing that. I know that a natural part of mourning is to reminisce and think about good times. But at what point to do you need to let go and not think about those things anymore? I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if I want to hit that point anytime soon. But at the same time, I want nothing more than to be done with the heartache and sorrow and be able to feel completely happy again.

By the time that I made it to Sacrament Meeting, I was feeling a little somber. I sat right in the middle of the chapel on the edge of a long bench, hoping that someone would come fill in the middle section and therefore, sit by me. But nothing.... as Sacrament Meeting got closer I found myself starting to feel even more blue. And then this super sweet girl left her row of friends and asked if she could come sit by me. That was so sweet of her. I didn't know who she was, but I kept thanking her for coming to sit by me so I didn't have to be alone. During the Sacrament, I pulled out a hymn book and read the words to the hymn "Reverently and Meekly Now." I like that hymn, because it is written from the perspective of the Savior talking to us. As I read the words to that hymn, a few tears slid down my face as I felt like He really was talking to me. I pulled myself together to listen to the speakers. The first speaker addressed the topic of gratitude even in our trials. If that wasn't applicable, then I don't know what is. Then the next speaker addressed the topic of happiness. Again, nothing more applicable to my life. Then finally the high council member stood up and spoke about how we will face hard times in life and how it is alright to ask questions in those times. But he said that we should make sure that we are asking real questions. We should not be asking rhetorical questions as a way to moan and groan about our circumstances. That hit home with me. His whole talk was really inspired, and again I had tears streaming down my cheeks.

When Sacrament Meeting ended, I had the opportunity to meet with my Stake President. He had been my bishop who assisted with my missionary application, and therefore someone that I felt particularly close to. I went into his office and sat down. He asked me a question or two about my mission, and then about my life since. I gave him a brief overview of the last few months of my life, with a little more detail put into the last month. We discussed the nature of my current situation, and what it meant for the future. I shed quite a few tears during that visit. But I was glad that I was able to sit down and talk to an ecclesiastical leader, or really any sort of leader. I appreciated the perspective, wisdom, and compassion that he was able to share.

Now here I sit, still feeling heartbroken and numb. But at least I feel the spirit more today that I have in a very long while. I have been able to see the Lord's hand very clearly in the trials that I have been handed lately. But today I was also able to see His hand in supporting me through those trials. The days may be dark, but there is light ahead somewhere. I just need to keep moving forward until I reach it.