In the Timing of a Wedding

One of my previous roommates and a really good friend of mine named Sherrie, is getting married on December 30^th. Not exactly New Year’s Eve, but perfect timing for a wedding none-the-less.

Last year, what I had gathered from her is that she wanted a spring wedding; so, when I learned it was in December, I was a little surprised, but it is a great time for her. Sherrie loves Christmas – she listens to Christmas music all the time, including the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. One day, when I was over, she was listening to their Winter Canon in D version of the song. As I listened, I imagined her walking down an aisle with snowflakes falling around her. Of course, that won’t really happen in the Temple, but for her, it was picture perfect. She truly loves her fiance - you can see in her eyes, she knows she is marrying her best friend for time and all eternity.

Sherrie timed the wedding as a wonderful metaphor. She is closing her life as a single and a young adult with the close of the year, and beginning the New Year as a wife.

Thinking on her, I realized, I have missed an anniversary myself. No, I am not married yet, or anywhere close to it, but I do have an anniversary – the first year anniversary of keeping this blog. I should have recognized it early in the month of November, but it passed my mind. However, though it is not New Years yet, it is the closing of a semester, so here are my reflections on it.

This semester has been full of challenges and adventures – two jobs, seven classes (17.5 credits), moving into a house a block away from my student church congregation’s apartment complex, trying to find the right balance in mending and accepting broken friendships. Some of these things, I have done well in and taken from lessons previously learned. I have grown in the characteristic of patience and silence, although, I have failed these in some rash decisions. Without my enthusiastic, extroverted previous roommate Amanda to guide me and push me into new friends, I have had to learn this myself. I have followed her example and thrown myself out of my comfort zone to making new friends and being in charge of my social life, rather than just be a follower. I have learned that I can challenge myself with this many credits and jobs, although, I could have done better with a couple of my classes. But, I did not sink. I have learned how to make proper meals, not simple freshman ones. I have realized that I need to keep with Welsh, or I will lose it, which means, I will probably by myself a Welsh book for Christmas.

I have also realized that a friend does not need to be the same. All friends do not need to be super open, nor tag along all the time. Nor do all friends need to keep the friendship alive by seeing each other every other day and trying to keep the status quo.  So thank you to Jonathon, Josh, Amy, Paige, Meryl, Sherrie, Katrina, Danielle, Allie, Michael, Mariah, Elly, Emmet and Adam, Mark, Dustin, Devon and Jonathon, David and Ron.

This semester has been the quickest semester I have experienced in my college life. It has been filled with concessions, quizzes, Family Home Evenings, volleyballs, concerts, bus trips to Wal-Mart, friends’ wedding and engagements, and revelations about myself. It was easier than I thought in many aspects, and I am proud to say, although I may not have passed life with straight A’s, I did pass with flying colors.

Check back in a couple weeks for my New Year's Resolutions.