The Good, The Bad, and The Head-Scratching Moments of What People Will Say

Fact: when you wear this nametag, people use it as a sign to divulge interesting details of their life. This week, without solicitation, I've been told:

1. I just got out of jail and my wife is dead.

2. I ripped open my [edited for content] in a freak motocross accident.

3. I spent all of last night listening to Whitney Houston. Her albums just make me feel "one" with her now that she's gone.

I'll let you ponder on those for a minute.

At so many points during the week I think, "oh! I need to remember that for the weekly email! People will laugh/cry/enjoy." And then it comes to email time and I'm at a loss for words. Gross. I'm going to start leaving myself figurative breadcrumbs in my daily planner so that this mind-blank atrocity doesn't happen again.

I don't have any hugely uplifting anecdotes from this past week, other than to say the work and the love move forward. I just wrote a good friend of mine that "no news on the mission is good news." I could tell you about the missionary-esque details of my life, but it would read more like a travelogue than you'd care to read. Basically, I have a lot of cool things happen to me everyday and sometimes all the coolness gets muddled together into a cool mass. Was that last sentence written by a 14 year old girl? Yes.

Oh! This week, everyone should know that my mother sent me a Valentine's Day package containing a handmade card. Don't worry that it contained multiple pictures of Robert Pattinson/Edward Cullen. I laughed for minutes. A public thanks to you, mom.

(Mother's Editorial Comment #1 -- For the record, there were only two photos of Edward/Rob in that card. Also, she forgot to mention the delicious homemade oatmeal cookies that were included in that same package. I'll forgive her for now...)

Final thought: We had a conversation with a woman last night while eating dinner. She talked about how all of life's challenges funnel us to the place we're supposed to be. She made a comment that, basically, if everything (job, marriage, faith) had worked out like she planned, she never wouldn't be sitting with us in that moment. I think about moments a lot.

I think about how, if my plans in the like 2 years or so had worked out like I planned, I wouldn't be absolutely blessed to meet the people I'm meeting. People say that when one door closes, another opens. I believe that when one door closes, not only does another one open, but it opens to a room of wonderful individuals, just waiting to meet, befriend, and love you. No schmaltz involved. We can focus on what we've lost on botched plans OR we can take a look at all of the people waiting to make our life fuller, richer, and more meaningful. Appreciate those moments and the people basking in them with you.

I love you all more than you know. I think about what you're doing, if you're ok. How you're changing and growing and becoming better than you were yesterday. That's all of you, not just my family. Be well. God's making provisions for you right.this.minute.

Love,

Sister G.

(Mother's Editorial Comment #2 -- Sister G sent some photos to share on the blog. As soon as I figure out how to upload those, you'll see them first here!)