Friday Nights

The next couple of months when Friday night would roll around, I’d get slightly more depressed. I used the word depressed as an exaggeration. It was more like I just wasn’t use to not having anything to do on the weekends. My social life had become temporarily extinct in a sense.

My routine became a good movie on the couch with my loyal dog and parents. They would never betray me haha. The thing about Friday nights in particular was that the show 20/20 was on. Call me crazy, but that show helped me.

I remember one particular evening when they featured Stephanie Nielsen, a woman who had been severely burned in a plane accident. She spoke in regards to the accident, her recovery, her family and how she and them dealt/were dealing with it. This person I had never heard of before and obviously didn’t know personally, struck a chord. She was so optimistic, so hopeful about her journey ahead. I thought to myself, how is she like that? After this crazy unexpected accident completely turned her life upside down, how is she so happy?

That night’s show was on my mind for a while. So I got nosy and Google searched that accident. As I flew through tons of articles I came across her blog and ever since, I have become a loyal follower. On the show they barely touched on her faith, but in her blog it was the reasoning behind everything. She in a sense became a support, even though that sounds a bit stalkerish! Haha

Things just became more and more clear. I began to understand that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. Every single one of us. They are all personalized to our needs. It made sense that this mortal life is just a short time span in the sense of eternity. Every trial brings about new lessons and can make us better if we choose to let it.

In addition to that, I recognized I shouldn’t let myself wallow in my own non-social pity party. There were people at church that started to reach out to me and encourage me to attend Institute. I had to make the effort as well.

Jake had since moved back to California from Utah so I recruited/convinced him and Daniel to take me to Institute. I remember clearly some girl expressing her feelings about a cat and somehow linking them to Heavenly Fathers plan, it was a little weird. But I got more than that out of it. I was able to socialize and reach out of my comfort zone. People started asking me if they would see me the following week and it in a way helped me hold myself accountable. When I would miss a week, they would ask where I was. Not in a judgmental way, but in a genuine, “I’m sad I didn’t get to see you last week” way.

I’m forever grateful for every person and family that reached out to me and befriended me. It helped and pushed me another step further.

I’m especially grateful for my own family who are not members and supported me. My mom pushed me to continue to learn what I personally believed. I know that there are a lot of families who wouldn’t be so open.

(forced my family into taking family pics)

December 2012!