The ABC's of Me

Here's another idea I got from This Is Me Challenge.

If you click on the image it will show up large enough to read.

A Day to Remember

This morning as I was getting ready for church I was listening to a radio broadcast talking about the events of September 11, 2001.  It brought back a lot of memories from this day ten years ago.  I lived in Riverside, California at the time.  I was teaching school there (2nd grade) and I was getting ready for work.  We didn't have a TV so I was listening to the news on the radio.  I turned it on at a point when everyone knew something terrible was happening, but we didn't yet know the extent of it.  Even after I got to school we didn't have a completely clear picture of what was going on.  We were told that we were not to bring up what was going on unless the children mentioned it, and then we were to reassure the children and try to keep things as normal as possible.  That was one of the hardest days I can ever remember.  Riverside is near Los Angeles and I remember that all of the planes were grounded and the silence was disconcerting.  Ever since I was a little girl I have looked up to the sky when I was in need of comfort.  I guess it's because I know Heavenly Father is out there and it's my connection to Him.  I felt a deep sense of sorrow for those who had lost their lives and a sense of vulnerability because my source of comfort, looking at the sky, now brought visions of terror to me.  I felt a little lost.
But I wasn't lost.  Heavenly Father was still there.  He spoke words of comfort through his prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley (which you can read here), and I felt peace. 
As I was pondering this during sacrament meeting today I was reminded of the time that Elder Merril J. Bateman visited my mission.  He spoke to us about the Atonement.  He told us that in the Garden of Gethsemane the Savior didn't suffer for us all at once, but one by one.  During that difficult night he went through all of our sorrows and pains, not just for our own sins we committed, but every pain, sickness, sorrow, every bad thing that has ever happened to us.  Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we don't have to be lost and we are never alone.  There is always One who can perfectly understand what we are going through.  I guess what I am trying to say is that He can take our sorrow for this day and turn it into hope and forgiveness and peace through His Atonement.  Here is a message that explains it from the perspective of someone who lived through this tragedy.
A few days ago the Washington Post published the statements of religious leaders from around the world about their thoughts for this tenth anniversary of September 11.  Here is what President Thomas S. Monson said.

Choices

Challenge #2 on This Is Me Challenge is the question: What are some choices in your life that affected where you are now?

There are several choices I have made that have had a huge impact on my life:

• Studying Spanish.  I have always had a strong desire to study other languages.  When I was in 4th grade a girl moved into my class who didn't speak any English.  One day at recess we started playing together and we just seemed to be able to communicate even though we didn't speak the same language.  My teacher picked up on that and assigned me to help her with her English.  She was to teach me Spanish in return.  This sparked my interest in other languages.  I wanted to learn French, but when I started ninth grade in the Junior High the only language offered was Spanish.  From then on I grew to really love the language.  I ended up taking Spanish all four years in high school and I took every undergraduate class available in college.  I even ended up serving a Spanish speaking mission.  It's interesting to me that ever since I graduated from college, every job I have been offered has been because I speak Spanish.
• Going to Ricks College.  This was a wonderful time for me.  I loved all of my classes and I loved the atmosphere.  I also got to know a great group of friends whose influence is still with me today.  
• Serving a mission.  I think this has been the decision that has had the most profound impact on my life.  I learned that the world is much bigger than what I knew in my little hometown.  I met amazing people who taught me a lot through their humble examples.  I learned the gospel in a way that I had never known and I grew to love the scriptures.  I think one of the reasons I was sent to Paraguay was because of my mission president.  From him I learned about hard work.  I also learned about grace and the part it plays in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  He also taught me that the gospel teaches repentance and forgiveness and to never give up on people.
• Attending BYU.  When I started at BYU I went to the employment center and was given a job as a custodian in the Smith Family Living Center.  I had an amazing boss who expected our best work and did her best to make it fun.  Through this job I met my two best friends, Shalyce and Liesl.  These two women have always been there for me and helped me through many a hard day.  We have also traveled the world together and done lots of other fun things.  I'm so glad to have them in my life!
• Becoming a teacher.  My little students are the light of my life.  I love seeing them every day and watching the wheels turn in their heads.  They make me laugh and they teach me things, too.  I love that have been able to live among them here.  My first group of students that I ever taught are adults now, but I don't really know what has happened in their lives.  It's fun to watch the students here as they grow up and develop talents.