One afternoon early last week, I got a phone call just as I was leaving work. It was an old roommate of mine (Jessica) telling me she was in town. Despite the last minute phone call, she asked if we could meet up to get some frozen yogurt and without hesitating, I agreed and we met up at the decided location with another friend of ours.
Since then, I've been thinking a lot about this particular roommate, and also about all the other roommates I've had over the years. I was more than willing to put down everything I had planned, to see her; not only because of how much I dearly loved her, but because of my admiration for her--for the things that she had taught me in my life.
When we were living together three years ago, I remember walking into our room on a nice summer afternoon and seeing Jessica on her bed surrounded in a circle of scripture and church material. When she saw me, her face lit up as she said, "Muriel!!! You won't believe it.. but I've been reading my scriptures for an hour and I can't put them down!!" She told me what she had read that day, and what she had gotten out of it. But the fact that she told me it was for an hour.. that was actually all she had to say to me. At that moment, I realized that yes, there might be some people out there who would judge her for saying what she did in one way or another, but my heart was full of love for her.. that she cherished the holy writ to a point where her knowledge for them was unquenchable. She could not put them down, and in her joy had to express that, maybe so I too could have my own joy from reading them.
It's a small and simple example, but one that has always stuck with me. I will never forget that moment. I had pure Charitable love for her. A love that I wanted to shout for joy because of her goodness, a love that I wanted to take for her example and adopt it into my own life (this love for reading the scriptures) and also, the love that drives wanting to be an example for those who would cross my path in the future.
But this blog isn't about this short tiny moment of my life.. as I met up with Jessica and remembered all that she had taught me, and all the crazy fun things we had done together as roommates, I began to remember other moments of teaching from other roommates in my life. From my first fall semester at college until the current semester I am in now.. (not including the Brighton roommates from camp) I've had a total of 29 different roommates. If I were to count my four summers of Brighton roommates, the number would increase to 39 (with 2 new ones in the fall!)....... I guess it would be obvious for me to say that I've lived with a lot of different people in the last 5 years.
But their examples, their silent moments of goodness when they thought no one was watching.. hadn't gone unnoticed. From their praise of other people, from the things they took joy in, from their undying love to serve those in need. Be it how they visit taught, or cried in defense for the things they thought was right. How they shared their talents--musical, artistic, writing skills, health tips, baking, teaching in church, their undying testimonies and sooooo many more-- every moment of their shared love has blessed my life in ways that I still have not realized to full capacity.
I had roommates who took me under their wing after my own world had crumbled on multiple spontaneous occasions; roommates where we would stay up late bouncing theories off of each other about science or the universe, or religion. Sometimes, you just need someone who will talk to you. Sometimes you just need someone who will listen to you; or who will bake with you, or sit you down to watch a movie, or play hangman with you, or scream at spiders, or hide in closets with, or DANCE with. We went everywhere together, we learned from each other.. each in their own quiet individual way taught me more than I even now fully realize. These women have blessed my life in ways they were not aware of.. in ways that have helped form the person I am today. I just needed to express my love in this blog.. for all of the beautiful women that I've live with in the past few years.
Lastly I want to add that, it is the people that we choose to surround ourselves with that make the biggest differences. Not because of big examples, but through their quiet daily tendencies, and the little things they do in their lives. Thank you all for being you, and thank you for being there for me.
If we don't meet again in this life, then more than anything I hope we sing praises together in the next. I would like that very much.
Since then, I've been thinking a lot about this particular roommate, and also about all the other roommates I've had over the years. I was more than willing to put down everything I had planned, to see her; not only because of how much I dearly loved her, but because of my admiration for her--for the things that she had taught me in my life.
When we were living together three years ago, I remember walking into our room on a nice summer afternoon and seeing Jessica on her bed surrounded in a circle of scripture and church material. When she saw me, her face lit up as she said, "Muriel!!! You won't believe it.. but I've been reading my scriptures for an hour and I can't put them down!!" She told me what she had read that day, and what she had gotten out of it. But the fact that she told me it was for an hour.. that was actually all she had to say to me. At that moment, I realized that yes, there might be some people out there who would judge her for saying what she did in one way or another, but my heart was full of love for her.. that she cherished the holy writ to a point where her knowledge for them was unquenchable. She could not put them down, and in her joy had to express that, maybe so I too could have my own joy from reading them.
It's a small and simple example, but one that has always stuck with me. I will never forget that moment. I had pure Charitable love for her. A love that I wanted to shout for joy because of her goodness, a love that I wanted to take for her example and adopt it into my own life (this love for reading the scriptures) and also, the love that drives wanting to be an example for those who would cross my path in the future.
But this blog isn't about this short tiny moment of my life.. as I met up with Jessica and remembered all that she had taught me, and all the crazy fun things we had done together as roommates, I began to remember other moments of teaching from other roommates in my life. From my first fall semester at college until the current semester I am in now.. (not including the Brighton roommates from camp) I've had a total of 29 different roommates. If I were to count my four summers of Brighton roommates, the number would increase to 39 (with 2 new ones in the fall!)....... I guess it would be obvious for me to say that I've lived with a lot of different people in the last 5 years.
But their examples, their silent moments of goodness when they thought no one was watching.. hadn't gone unnoticed. From their praise of other people, from the things they took joy in, from their undying love to serve those in need. Be it how they visit taught, or cried in defense for the things they thought was right. How they shared their talents--musical, artistic, writing skills, health tips, baking, teaching in church, their undying testimonies and sooooo many more-- every moment of their shared love has blessed my life in ways that I still have not realized to full capacity.
I had roommates who took me under their wing after my own world had crumbled on multiple spontaneous occasions; roommates where we would stay up late bouncing theories off of each other about science or the universe, or religion. Sometimes, you just need someone who will talk to you. Sometimes you just need someone who will listen to you; or who will bake with you, or sit you down to watch a movie, or play hangman with you, or scream at spiders, or hide in closets with, or DANCE with. We went everywhere together, we learned from each other.. each in their own quiet individual way taught me more than I even now fully realize. These women have blessed my life in ways they were not aware of.. in ways that have helped form the person I am today. I just needed to express my love in this blog.. for all of the beautiful women that I've live with in the past few years.
Lastly I want to add that, it is the people that we choose to surround ourselves with that make the biggest differences. Not because of big examples, but through their quiet daily tendencies, and the little things they do in their lives. Thank you all for being you, and thank you for being there for me.
