There's Something to Be Said...

...for friends who know you well enough to know you'll be up early on a Saturday morning...

...for knowing that while you can't cure the problem, a Baz Luhrmann movie and Nutella ice cream can work wonders for morale...

...for running errands on Saturday morning with minimal makeup and undone hair and not caring one iota...

...for the infinite power of hope, even when hope is all you have to go on...

...for the beauty of a sunny spring day with its blossoms and wispy clouds to make you forget the bitterness of a long winter...

...for OWNING your life in all its imperfect glory...

...for being self-aware enough to know that what you want most is NOT what you need right now... and that delaying that gratification will be worth the wait, whereas fulfilling it now would be detrimental!

...for the friendships so deep that a mere raise of the eyebrow or simple, perfectly timed smile can result in doubled-over fits of laughter...

...for those reminders that you can't script your life, so just enjoy the ride, because what's for you won't pass you, even if the story takes time to play out...

...for the new people who cross your path and shake up your prejudices and preconceived notions...

...for the phenomenal way that seven musical notes can transport you to a world of emotions and locations and eras, all in how they're arranged (seriously, HOW does that work?!?!)...

...for movies, music, etc. that can instantly take you back decades... like so:

(SWOON. Right?! )

...for making the deliberate choice to seek happiness and help others do the same...

...for quality, good men, single or married, who remind me of what I'm waiting for (not perfection, of course, but goodness and a heart that's focused on the right things)...

...for maintaining perspective and balance, choosing to see challenges as opportunities and remembering the power in perception...

...for the warmth that fills my home when friends are there...

...for savoring life's sweetness in its simple, everyday moments...

...and for remembering what matters most:

The Power of Connection

I came across this fabulous video from BYU's alumni services today, and it's too great not to share!


Some gems from Ron Clark, Director of BYU Public Affairs and Guest Relations:

"A bunch of our communication now, we're cheating ourselves a little bit because we're addressing a multitude of people all at once. We claim to have 1,000 friends on Facebook, and we're saying the same message to each and every one of them with no individuality. Gone is the feeling of one-on-one communication and feeling—actually being there to rejoice at someone's news or to commiserate with them for just a little while, and say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm here for you. I'm your friend. I'm your buddy. I believe in you.' It's all done through space, and we're losing so much of the identity—the individual identity in relationships. It's electronic emotion."

"Emotion does not dwell in a computer. It doesn't dwell in an iPhone. Sincerity cannot be felt that way. Honesty cannot be felt. Even an awkward use of words and phrases one on one that brings out the true nature of who we are and what we are is lost... You build friendships through networking, and a lot of those friendships you keep enjoying for years and years."

"There's nothing to be uptight about. They're people. They have the same basic apprehension that you do and the same awkwardness, and as long as you're the one that's willing to break that ice and walk in, and make a comment, make an observation, and then go to—even if it's a principle—you stick your hand out, you bring them in. It's a gesture of warmth and sincerity and friendship. I love it when people do that to me."

"It totally does away with the ability to be warm and kind and actually loving—natural, relaxed around somebody else. It makes them very, very awkward if you're uncomfortable. Then they spend time trying to make you comfortable and have you feel at ease because they know that they are certainly comfortable in your presence. You want to disarm them from having to worry about that, and if you can speak in a nice, comfortable, lower tone of voice without a lot of aggression—just a couple of warm shakes of the hand and a pat on the back of that elbow—it does wonders to open so many doors."

"Every one of us has a wit, and if we can find what taps that wit and how we can have an exchange of just a little bit of craziness... You find that common denominator that can make you both laugh. It's things like that that build that confidence, and the very first time you spend in their presence, you can have that. You can own that. You can own that friendship for the rest of your life. By the end of the day, we're hugging each other and we're looking in each other's eyes as real friends, and that's not an art. It's something that I want. It's something that I need. It replenishes my cup."

"We're better at communicating when we're natural, when we're being ourselves and being absolutely sincere and honest about why we want to ask a question. Loving people is one of the greatest gifts we have on this earth, and so many of us are so busy, we don't take time to actually love. I have come to find out the important things of existing and co-existing, and people is the common denominator. I cherish every relationship I have."