An Exercise in Humility

Do not adjust your computer screen. I'm actually posting something to my blog. I know. I nearly had a heart attack too. I was just discussing blogs w/ a friend of mine who is a successful blogger. Not only is his blog interesting and varied, but he's consistent with his follow-through. Impressive. Maybe that's not so impressive to you, but to me? I'm obviously not as good at that part. So when he was asked whether I had a blog, I shamefully hung my head and mumbled (or I would have mumbled if we had been speaking face to face), "I have a blog but haven't written in years." As it turns out, it's only been like a year and a half, but still. He felt that I'd write interesting things. Very flattering. I explained that I often have these ideas for something interesting and I'll start writing a post, but because I want it to be perfect, perfect, perfect, I stall...and then it never gets posted. This got me thinking. Maybe I should just take all the posts I've already started and post them as is - as an act in humility.

Heh. I just went back and read through my unposted entries. This could be kind of fun. So. Prepare yourselves. I'll make sure to include when the post would have originally been published. I may also add a little something, but for the most part, I'm going to try not to alter the original state in which it currently resides. And as an act in consistency, I'm going to start out with posting one/week, unless I feel inclined to post more than that. I'm going to commit to the weekly post and then go from there, k? K.

Hee-YA!

I know just about everyone has seen all of these commercials and the genius BYU parody, but honestly, how can I pass up posting these gems?

You may remember this magnificent marketing campaign for Old Spice beginning with this:



and following up with this:



Well, the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU decided to get in on the action and produced this brilliant version of their own.



It makes me miss working at the HBLL. Especially because A. they have guys that good-looking roaming the stacks, and B. they finally implemented a "snack zone". So unfair that I missed out on both!

One more thing. These commercials are getting so much attention, that CBS News even picked up on the phenomenon and gave BYU a little face time. Sweet!

Mom

So I was sitting in church today, thinking about the lesson I had prepared to teach the Young Women on the importance of writing in a journal and the fact that it was Mother's Day. What better way to combine both than to write about my own mother in my journal? I began making a list of some of the things I love about my Mom and decided that it was too important not to share. Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, but it does cover some key things.

• I love her faith and testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Her quiet, firm foundation in the gospel is evident in everything she does and says and in the way she serves her family and others in her neighborhood.
• I love her love of family. Family always comes first. She prays for all of us each day and thinks of ways to reach out and help us.
• I love the way she loves her grandchildren. Watching her read a story to, bake cookies with, or create an art project for one of my nieces or nephews is one of the sweetest things ever!
• I love her love of family history and her determination to acquaint her children with our ancestors.
  
• I love her creativity - painting, sewing/quilting, crafts and doodling. I always love seeing the doodles she creates while on the phone w/ someone. Mom, I wonder if you know what a wonderful artist you are?
• I love her love of reading, good storytelling, and learning. Thanks to her, I grew to love reading too and to pursue my education as far as I have. One of my very first memories ever is of her reading me stories. It is also one of my sweetest. I still find listening to her voice reading to be one of the most comforting and beautiful things I can imagine.
  
• I love her physical beauty. My mother is simply lovely.
• I love her hands. There is something comforting and familiar about her hands and what they have been used to do over the years. They have been used to cook, comfort, wipe away tears, cuddle, create countless art projects, edit countless school papers, bake bread, cookies, brownies, prepare innumerable meals (many of them far under-appreciated), pin, hem, sew everything from pants to prom dresses, and so much more. I find them inexpressibly beautiful. I love that when they are at rest they are still always carrying memory, experience, and love.
  
• I love her for her faith in me. She has always had the ability to see some things more clearly than I - whether that was regarding my serving a mission or not or whether or not I could complete my Masters program. She always believed I could do it and always encouraged me beyond my own insecurities and sense of failure. She always prayed for me by name.
  
• I love her for her patience with me. Sometimes I feel endlessly needy - especially throughout my Masters program, constantly seeking her skills as an editor at all hours of the night and she was always there.
  
• I love her love for me. It is kind of hard not to love someone who loves you and I think I've already given enough proof that my Mom loves me very much. But the simple fact that she loves me is enough for me to love her back.

Lois Anne Whitaker Bishop, I love you forever. Happy Mother's Day!

Did you wish your Mom a Happy Mother's Day? What do you love about her?