Gratitude Drive

Yesterday I spent the day in Provo to see a few of my favorite people for the last time. It was a really simple (but wonderful) day. I did a session in the Provo temple with Naomi, took Alise to Zupas, painted our nails with my sister, visited the Games Center, had a ron-day-vu (not lookin up how to spell that, carry on) with Mack on the side of the road, went to the BYU / St. Mary's basketball game, and sat on Larsen's lap at South 7 (Where he so nicely said "Can you switch to my other leg so I can see the TV?). I gave my final hugs to my favorite boys, told Alise "See ya later!", (We decided we were going to pretend we were going to see each other again in a few days so we wouldn't get emotional.) and drove home. My heart was so full and grateful for the wonderful people in my life that I decided to try to do something that I heard in a fireside once.

The speaker at the fireside said that when he would go on long drives he would try to spend the whole drive expressing things he was grateful for. I thought back then that sounded wonderful but never actually did it.

It only took about three minutes of me listing out loud the simple and non-simple things I was grateful for before I was crying my eyes out. Maybe it's that I am leaving on a mission in 3 days that has me so emotional and sentimental but it was such a special thing to do on that drive from Provo to South Jordan. I am SO BLESSED. I liked doing it because it forced me to think of things that I normally wouldn't think of being grateful for. Such as...

+belonging to a church that does so much service and humanitarian aid

+that my grandpa loves doing genealogy so much so i always have family names to do

+that all of my limbs work & work well

+for nice, genuinely kind people who do simple things like let you get in front of them in line at the grocery store, or let you change into their lane

+for my professor stanley johnson who helped me develop a stronger love for the scriptures

+aggie chapstick

+that my parents are good with budgeting their money so we never have to go without and i know if i ever need help with money i will be able to go to them for help.

+always having a good job where the people are fun and i love them

Etc. It was just an eye opening thing for me. I've always thought about the question "What if you woke up with only what you told Heavenly Father 'thank you' for in last nights' prayer?" and tonight made me realize how much we are blessed with as His children. And I bet I didn't even make a dent in it. Maybe I'll do it on my flight to Singapore? Then I will just be sobbing and no one will want to be my friend or take a Book of Mormon from me. A+ plan, LC.