the very best.

I've noticed that there are certain people in my life who always make me want to be a better person. Every time I talk to them or read their words or hear about their amazing lives I am inspired. I am in awe of these people and I think I would be intimidated by them, except for the fact that they make me believe that I can be that kind of person too. They make me see that I can be a little better and a little stronger and a little more like the person I wish to be. I love these people--I don't know where I would be without them!



My dear, dear friend Ashley White is one of these incredible people. I have been impressed by her intelligence, drive, fortitude and incredible humor and wit since I first met her in middle school (and if you're anything like me me, it was incredibly hard to be impressive in middle school!). I look up to her so much! Her example makes me push myself to do more and achieve more in my own life.

So, last Tuesday when I found out that Ashley was unexpectedly faced with a physical ailment that will change her life in so many ways, it is no surprise that her experience has again influenced the way I want to live my own life. It reminds me how precious our lives are; how much we take for granted in our lives; how quickly everything can change. It makes me want to live each day a little more fully. It make me want to stop procrastinating. It makes me want to make sure I let people know how much they mean to me. And it makes me want to enjoy every beautiful moment in my life and see each as the gift it truly is.

(As I am writing this, I keep thinking of "Seize the Day" from the "Newsies." It reminds me of the summer when Ashley and I worked together and had a 45 minute commute each way to our office, we memorized the Newsies soundtrack, singing it at the top of our lungs on our drive both ways. It was the best!)

My dear friends, I hope that we can all be a little more like Ashley White. I hope we can be strong in our trials and true to our beliefs. I hope we can work hard and give our all to everything we do. I hope we can love others with our whole hearts. I hope we will make people smile and laugh as often as we can. I hope we will continually strive to reach our potential and become the best person we can be.

Ashley, you inspire me everyday! I love you even more than I love Christian Bale! (hehehe)

Love,
Foolio :)

happy day!

I just love Valentine's Day! I love the colors red and pink. I love hearts. I love flowers and chocolate and kind words. and yes, i know sometimes v-day gets to be a bit overly sugared up and cliche, but I can't help but rejoice in a day dedicated to showing people that you care about them!

so....

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you tell someone(s) you love them!

photo ...

coming soon...

Listen Adele's new album, 21, on NPR. Her voice is amazing- it sounds like it's pouring straight out of her soul. so so gorgeous.

photo via..

enfermita

The great thing about a sick day is you don't have to go to work. In fact, you don't really have to do anything.

The bad thing is, you can't do much of anything anyway.

Today I stayed home sick, and I feel like a captive in my own body--there are so many things I would love to do with a day off! I could get errands done. I could clean. I could go hiking or swimming or visit friends or go shopping (although I shouldn't do that anyway...). I could practice the guitar or go for a walk or do yoga. But instead, I am stuck in bed- too antsy to sleep, but too dizzy to get up.

However, there is always a silver lining. The redeeming moment in my day:

This afternoon I went out to the front porch and lay in the sun for a good hour with the birds chirping and sun shimmering in the trees and the cool breeze mixed with the warmth of the sun combining to make the perfect temperature. And I didn't have to think about anything or go anywhere. It was heavenly.

Definitely not something I get to enjoy everyday! And I got a good dose of vitamin d.

Also, I kept thinking of this song, because, for some reason, when I first heard it it reminded me of dappled sunlight through closed eyes while the light glints off of swaying branches- though maybe in fast forward, or the way the light looks when you're sleeping in a moving car- and wind chimes (i know that's random and maybe I'm the only one who gets that image, but oh well). I invite you to listen, close your eyes, and imagine the sunlight through the trees and the beautiful afternoon breeze on your skin. It's lovely, I promise :) Plus, this song is just gorgeous.

comforter

Lately I have had a hard time understanding why the Lord allows there to be so much pain and suffering in the world. Little things, like seeing an elderly man begging on the street or watching "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"have left with me a profound sense of sorrow and caused me to question how a Father who loves all of His children would let some of them experience such tremendous horrors as genocide or the pervasive pain of poverty or the simple sadness of solitude. I think is especially hard to understand why some people have to endure such hardships when I have been given so many blessings. And I am so grateful, but I know I don't deserve any of what I have more than anyone else. It is hard for me to make sense of why some of us, for what seems to be no good reason, have comfort and ease in our lives that others may never experience. It seems so unfair, even thought I feel a bit ashamed and childish for feeling that way.

However, as I have been thinking about these issues and praying to have a better understanding of why the Lord allows his children to experience such pain, these scriptures were brought to my attention yesterday:

For behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Lord God worketh not in darkness.

He doeth not anything save it be fore the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation. . .

[W]herefore, the Lord hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.

But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.

And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things for whoso doeth them shall perish.

For none of these iniquities come for the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

2 Nephi 26:23-24, 30-33.

This is a beautiful reminder to me that the Lord does love His children; that he watches over them; that he is kind and just and wants what is best for all of us. It also reminds me of my responsibility.

I am to be a laborer in Zion. I must have charity. It is my job--all of our jobs-- to help God's children receive the blessings He would have them receive. I believe that means doing everything I can to share the prosperity I enjoy with everyone I meet, and even those I don't meet. It means standing up for what I believe and speaking out when I see an injustice. It means truly loving others. It means keeping my priorities straight. It means paying attention to what is going on in the world around me and doing all I can to understand the way the world works. It means working hard--probably harder than I do--to make the changes in myself that need to be made. It means doing all I can to bring peace and equality to the world, for people both near and far, even if I can only play a small part. And it means having hope and faith in the Lord and doing my very best to follow Him in everything I do.

It's not easy. But I'll do my best.

And I just want to say, I am so grateful for my blessings-- for my wonderful family and amazing friends; for my job and my education and my home; for food and clothing and a car and heating and happiness; and for the way God knows me and speaks to me in ways I can understand.

Images

from Egypt.

And here are a few more.

oh oh oh

I'm kind of obsessed with this song right now.

Coincidence?

I think not!

I was just reading an article from Nicholas Kristof about how the US needs to show more support for the popular revolution in Egypt when BYU sent me this quote from the forum Condoleezza Rice gave at a couple weeks ago:

“The only legitimate government, the only form of government that is true to the non-negotiable demands of human dignity is democracy. So the United States has to advocate for it.”

Alright, here's our chance!

favorites

I LOVE butterflies! I always have.

(and I think they love me too--one time i was talking to someone by the HBLL library and a butterfly just came over and landed on my hand. And once in Guatemala about a dozen of them came and landed on me while I was lying in the sun--apparently they thought the flowers on my swimsuit were real. (and also, they really love me.) it was basically the coolest thing that has ever happened to me!)

Butterflies are so delicate and graceful and beautiful and gentle. Perhaps a bit aloof, but they seem generally friendly. They are, I think, a happy insect. And they're pollinators. Since I love flowers too I am extra grateful to butterflies for their elegant usefulness!

So today I'm sharing this article about Vladimir Nabokov's theories on butterflies, which have recently been confirmed. Quite interesting! Also, as a lover of literature, I feel that i have a double connection to Nabokov.

I guess I ought to read Lolita now.

And here are some pretty butterfly pictures from the article.

And here is a Nabokov poem, “On Discovering a Butterfly":

I found it and I named it, being versed

in taxonomic Latin; thus became

godfather to an insect and its first

describer — and I want no other fame.

Have a wonderful day! It should be easy now that you're thinking about butterflies :)