take some time this holiday

I am home. In California. And it feels so good. I have never wanted to be here more than I do now. But this year feels different. Last year I grew into myself more than I ever have before. I learned about people, and I learned about how I interact with people. I confronted fears and I grew stronger, both physically and mentally. This next year will require growth as well, but not exactly in the same ways. Above everything, I feel blessed to be the woman I am, and I look forward to facing whatever I need to face with a soul full of faith.

I propose that we choose to remember who we are this season, and who we can become. After all, our Savior was born and died for us to be able to grow.

The following is a list of things that you can watch/read/do to make your heart soar:

1. Read this post about death by my Aunt Susan, who is an amazing photographer and writer and has been mentioned numerous times on this blog. Her neighbor, who just began a battle with cancer, just lost her husband this week. Susan's verdict: "When you stand on the edge of mortality, do you look into darkness or into light? I think it must be light. Maybe for an instant, it will feel like someone switched off a lamp--but just for a second--and when they turn it on again, the room is bright and warm and so full of love you feel like you can touch that love, and breathe it too."


2. Watch Henry Poole is Here. It's an incredibly wonderful movie, but I don't think it was advertised very well when it was first released, which is a shame. The movie is about a man who moves into his childhood neighborhood to spend his last days alone, but when his very social neighbor believes she sees the face of Jesus in the stain of a bad stucco job on his house, she begins spreading the news. It's a very quirky and odd movie.

Everything about this movie, from the acting to the design, is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

3. Watch The Fountain. Especially if you like science fiction and/or Hugh Jackman and/or Rachel Weisz. While both Henry Poole and The Fountain can be considered dramas, Henry Poole maintains some lightheartedness, while The Fountain is more of a thinking movie. Proof: The storyline is actually three story lines woven together with the same two actors playing the leads in all three lines. It is a beautiful film. It will break your heart in a positive way.


4. Go for a walk or a hike. I am so ecstatic to be in California where hiking is possible without the risk of frostbite! I am really looking forward to getting outside again. I love the snow, but a change is always nice.

[Photo by Gary Barnes]

5. Spend time with family, or write letters to your family. I think that's a given. But going beyond that, learn about your family. Work on a record of your family if you don't already have one. Someday your children will want to know where they come from, and I plan on being ready to tell them all they ever wanted to know, with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart. (My goal this holiday is to fill out this chart to put with my records.)