Final Final Blog...

In class today, Brother Clarke asked everyone to raise their hand if they're stressed out. Everyone raised their hand. (End of semester stress...) Then he asked us to do something for someone who is more stressed out than we are and then blog about it.  So I asked fellow student, Willow Kantrow (who works part-time and who takes 5 classes) if she'd like some dinner.  She said "Yes!"  So we went to Costa Vida, one of my favorite places to go. She said she loves it too! Willow has been so fun to get to know this semester. She is smart, funny, and was a great partner to have for our GoPro group presentation. I love going to BYU and the reminders we get from wise professors to look and see others instead of focusing on ourselves. Peace out MCOM320.

Final Blog

For my last blog I just wanted to write about this class.  Communication has always been a weakness of mine. I worried about taking this class all throughout school, and  I am taking it towards the end of my education for that very reason.

Being able to speak in a way that not only gets your point across but represents how you really feel is so important, but has always been so difficult for me.  I've always done a little better in written communication.  But after this class, I feel like I can do both so much better.  My grammar and sentence structure is better, and I was even able to do a few oral presentations for this class. I actually quit college years ago because I didn't think I could give an oral presentation, and this semester I did two!

I am really grateful for professor Clarke. He set the tone at the very beginning of the class that made me believe I could do this.  He encouraged us, taught us well, and has a great sense of humor. The things I've learned in this class have given me the most applicable life skills thus far. I can't say enough how much I've loved this class!

Growing Old

My mom and dad really enjoyed being together; they had a great marriage.  I always knew my mother would pass away first because of her ongoing health problems. And I worried about this day...the day my dad would be all alone.  He is very healthy and mentally alert.  At age 82, he has already surpassed the average lifespan of an American male.  He could very well live another 10 years.  I feel such a responsibility to help him have a happy life. What he wants more than anything is companionship.  He needs people in his life.  The days are very long when you are living alone.  He works at the temple and he volunteers with United Way, but the days are still very long.  My siblings and I all work and have families so we are at our busiest time of life.  We feel like he needs more than what we are offering.  We came up with a plan for each of us to bring him dinner one night a week and eat it with him so that he has company at least a few nights a week.  He loves it.  And so do I. Still, I feel like I need to do more.  I worry about it a lot.  I also wonder if my children will worry about me when I am at that point in my life?  Do we as human beings love each other enough?  Do we care about each other enough?  I want to live my life in such a way that I am always looking out for another human being.

My Son

My son is gay. He told us earlier in the year, and I was not surprised. I had a spiritual impression when he was young that he is gay, so I was prepared for his message. I was able to hug him and tell him how much I love him. I don't know everything, obviously, but I believe in Heavenly Father's plan for us. It is a perfect plan for all of us who are imperfect. The world teaches us that if you are gay, it is who you are; you are defined by that, and you must adopt that lifestyle. God teaches us that we are His children; that our potential is infinite. He also teaches us that our journey here on this earth will be a trial. The trials each one of us endures will be for our benefit and learning. We will need to rely on faith to get us through. If we ARE faithful, God will give us all that He has.

I have heard many people with same-sex attraction say they wish they felt differently. They have a righteous desire for these feelings to go away, and yet more often than not, those powerful feelings remain. There are other trials people have that are contrary to Heavenly Father's plan, like those who are never able to marry.  How about those who are never able to have children?  Aren't these trials also tied to Heavenly Father's plan for us and just as difficult? And yet, if you mention that to someone with same-sex attraction, they are offended you refer to their feelings as a trial, because the world has told them being gay is who they are. Therefore, by calling it a trial or something to overcome, you are essentially telling them THEY as a person are wrong. This is not how God feels about them. This is misinformation by the world.

As I said, I do not know everything. I think that is the point. The test would not be very hard if we had all of the answers. We are supposed to be tested to our very core so that we will rely on God, and only then will we progress. The world does not know this. I am SO grateful to know this. My son chooses to believe what the world has taught him, and not what we have taught him. I have tried to imagine what it would be like to have same-sex attraction, and how that would affect my faith. Would I choose to listen to the world, or would I choose to follow God?

President Trump

Donald Trump will not be the first or last flawed man or woman to enter the White House. We have had, and will have many more to come. I know a lot of people are feeling a myriad of feelings (depending on their views) because of the outcome of this election.

To me, this is just another example of how our journey is here on earth. We will always have opposition in our life. It is what helps us grow and become better people. The outcome of this election does not change who we are. We can still treat each other with kindness. We can still be examples of goodness. We can go to school, go to work, and teach our kids values. What we do with difficult situations in our lives is what makes us who we are. I'm not saying this from the perspective of someone who always makes right choices, but rather someone who is conscious of that, and who keeps trying even when I make mistakes.

This election has taught me to value the opinions of others, even if the opinions don't match mine. It has helped me understand my children better, my friends better and people I don't even know that well... understand what is important to them, and to be OK with that.

For what it's worth, I'm grateful to be an American. I'm grateful I was able to struggle through this election and come to a decision as difficult as it was and then to follow through on that decision.

God Bless America!

One-sided Media

My son took an AP Government class last year.  His assignment was to research TV and Radio news shows and see if they are fair or one-sided.  His group came to the conclusion that Fox News is one-sided (to the right).  I couldn't believe that was the conclusion.  The majority of news media stations out there are liberal.  Fox News is one of the few outlets where you can actually get some conservative news.  It just goes to show that education is also liberal.  Unless you attend a religious school, you are likely to be fed liberal ideas. I've noticed with liberalism, there is not much tolerance for anything else but liberalism.  At BYU, we are taught to think about all sides of the issues and come to our own conclusions.

Perspective

Perspective: the state of one's ideas, the facts known to one.  Our perspective changes depending on our age and circumstances.  My husband is a chiropractor.  When he first started his practice, he would often come home and talk about how badly his patients complained about their back pain.  He thought many of them were just exaggerating.  One year, on Mothers' Day (of all days), when our children were young and quite a handful, he was in our backyard digging up a tree.  He pulled something in his back and couldn't even move.  He was confined to his bed for the rest of the day, and then struggled with severe back pain for the next several months while he got treatment.  He moaned and complained a lot!  It was during those painful few months that his perspective changed.  He gained an understanding of his patients' pain.  After this experience, he never complained about or judged his patients again.  In fact, the whole experience changed the type of doctor he is.  He now has empathy and understanding.  I admire him for changing.  Often times in life, we are allowed to have experiences just like this, but our behavior remains the same.