Heartstrings: Life is sweet.

Today was interesting. Well "interesting" I guess that doesn't make it different than any other day, lol.

I said good-bye to a friend of mine, that I've grown very close to over the last 3 years of my college experience. She probably is the one person who has stuck around the longest these college years, (because most of my friends that I met around the same time have gone on missions or gotten married--not saying I'm upset that they've made those incredible life-changing decisions--She has just been with me from the beginning) and this morning I hugged her good-bye, not knowing when I'll see her again. She's turning in her mission papers this summer, and I'm still living my life one day at a time, not quite knowing where my feet will take me. It might have been the last good-bye. Maybe not. But it was hard.

I guess I should be use to saying good-byes. In the international world people come and go as fast as fads change. Growing up in the region of the world wedged between 3 continents, going to an international school representing over 20 nationalities as the people you've grown closest with, and each returning to their home country where you'll never see them again...... you'd think after being introduced and saying good-bye so many times, one would be use to it. I guess not.

On the other hand, I photographed a beautiful bride this afternoon as she walked out of the Jordan River Temple with her new husband and their families. Beautiful would probably be the best word to describe it, but that is undoubtedly an understatement. She GLOWED, with happiness. Literally. It was a cloudy day-- I'm pretty sure the light in her eyes wasn't coming from the Sun, but the source of her pure light illuminated up from the depths of her soul. She was beautiful. Her family was beautiful. It was cute, because after a while I noticed between every click of my camera, she would giggle-- mind you, I took over 800 photos. She was beyond Happy.

Life is full of sacrifices. But I also know, sacrifices are worth it. Even if they seem to get harder as you grow older, the joys that come from life also seem to become more fulfilling. I'm struggling trying to find a relation between these two stories other than the lesson that I've learned, is that some things in life are hard, but behind the corner is always something that will make up for your sorrow. The trick is to look for the silver lining.