Glad

I don't know if it's just that this moist, cloudy fall weather makes me nostalgic but today I just feel so glad to be alive! As I go on a morning walk in the residential grid that is South of Campus I enjoy looking at the old fashioned houses with columns and front porches. Some of them are restored and painted in cute modern colors, others remain in a condition that reflects their age. As I walk by the houses I see evidences of the people who live there. Lots of gardens, lots of American flags, and lots of strollers and little bikes. Some houses are quirkier than others. One has yellow and purple trim and a yard full of glass toadstools and other nic-nacs. There is a bench in the street-side garden and enough bird feeders to attract the many fowl that are singing in the trees above.

Lately, after accomplishing two major life goals - graduating from BYU and marrying in the temple - I have felt some of the "blah-dom" so well described recently in a friend's profound blog post. She described things she was learning while waiting for the next big adventure in life. I am learning too. The biggest things I am focused on are the following:

1. Having true charity - really feeling that concern for other people and finding ways to serve. This way you don't get caught up in your own "problems" and forget about the world around you.
2. Being grateful - I am really so blessed. SO blessed. I mean to have the wonderful husband I have. To have the restored gospel and the ordinances of the temple and a living prophet. And then the fact that we such a nice little house. We have EVERYTHING we need. Not to mention a warm house with a hot shower and clean clothes to put on. How many people in the world can say that?

This phase of life brings unique opportunity to search for the real purpose of life. I have no over-arching identity such as 'student'. What is my purpose? I am a wife. I am a daughter and sister. I am a child of God. What am I responsible for? I am  responsible to keep my covenants. So I am trying to figure out the best way to do that in this charmed but uneventful phase of life...Uneventful for me anyway, my husband is still fully entrenched in the student world. The constant stress of always having more you could be doing. Always feeling that if you had more time you could do better. Whew! I'm glad that's over.

Meanwhile I will enjoy going on walks, cleaning and cooking, being a homemaker in general, substitute teaching for minimal money, reading my book and getting together with friends. I'll post again if I have any major inspiration for how to approach life post-graduation, zero career, and pre-kids.