And the day came...

Happy Anniversary?! It's been a year already.  Well, almost.  I moved home the week after Mother's Day of last year.  Such a year of growth/change/exploration/soul-searching. I'm trying to compose something poetic and lovely to summarize my emotions from the past year, but nothing charming is coming to mind.  So you get a bulleted list.

• I am so much more "me" today than I ever have been at any point in my life before.  Thank you, life.  Thanks for refusing to let me stay comfortable for too long. Ever.
• Kimberly Locke's song "Wrong" is the best and most inspiring song for a run.  'you're wrong! and i'm strong!' all day long, baby.
• A testimony is something that is needed daily, and is constantly re-learned.  At first I thought I was weak because of this. (you know, why can't I have that strong testimony that always sees things the way the prophet does.....) But I think what it really means is that I'm human, and I'm living a human experience.  I love the quote that says "we are divine beings having a mortal experience." It's supposed to be hard. We're supposed to be constantly learning and figuring this business out.
• I have an excellent memory.  I remember details.  But I can truly say in lots of ways I can turn around now and say "really?  that was me?  I did that? that was my life?" Grateful for new memories and experiences that, although don't erase past experiences, do help me channel my thoughts in a positive direction
• When I would go on dates as a recent divorcee all I would feel comfortable talking about was my experience.  THAT was my life.  It was all I knew, and therefore, the only topic of conversation I knew how to handle.  Not so anymore.  (although I'm still no conversationalist) I sometimes get a kick out of the number of dates I've been on with guys who have no idea of my past.  There's something enlivening about that.  The label does not define me.  It's part of me, and it'll come up when it's relevant.  But I don't have to include that in my "tell me about yourself" description.  
• Someone once (or twice or many many times) told me he didn't think I would like teaching.  Said it didn't really seem like my strongpoint and I would definitely hate junior high.  That person was wrong.  So grateful for the Holy Ghost and my patriarchal blessing for helping me see my strengths and for guiding me in the direction I so needed to go in.
• Life is a verb.  True.  So true.  But it doesn't have to be lived the same way for everyone.  Just because my cup of tea is a different flavor than yours does not make me boring. (just because I'm "boring" does not make me boring.) Everyone is weird.  You're weird if you're not weird. I respect passion, enthusiasm, and weirdness.  "Be curious, not judgmental." 

Ready to evolve from the focus-on-myself-in-order-to-survive phase and start thinking of other people more.  That means be a better friend, sister, daughter, auntie, visiting teacher, ward member. Please pardon the mistakes as I try to figure it out.  Your patience is most appreciated. Expect improvement. Always up.