3. Kindness Counts

You know those commercials where people keep doing nice things to each other? They "pay it forward" all the way down the street, and the world ends up a nicer place in just five minutes? Well, a version of that just happened to me.

I was about to start the dryer when I suddenly realized I didn't have my room key. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I was the only roommate home. Not only was my laundry soaking wet, but I was locked out. I briefly explained my predicament to the only other girl in the laundry room, just so she wouldn't think I was weird for not starting the dryer. Not quite sure what to do, I walked back to my apartment door trying to think of a plan. 

Luckily, the Lord blessed me with a tender mercy. My roommate arrived home at the exact same moment I got to the door! I'm not the kind of person who believes in coincidences. I believe in the daily miracles. 

It gets better though--I grabbed my ID and ran downstairs to finish my laundry before I forgot. To my amazement, the load had already been started! The girl from before had been kind enough to start my laundry for me. Her simple act of service made my day! I hugged her and thanked her, and then left feeling so grateful. Her example made me want to do something thoughtful and helpful like that for someone else. 

I ran into a friend in the hallway, and on a whim, asked her if she wanted some warm french toast. (which I had just made for lunch!) I brought a plate over to her place, where she informed me that french toast with strawberries was one of her all-time favorite foods, and that I had made her day. 

Moral of this lovely little story: remember that people are good, the hand of the Lord is in your life, and that service can be simple. I'm grateful that things like this happen in real life. And I think they often happen more than we realize. It's important to recognize the tender mercies, and you never know when you could bring that joy to someone else's life. Kindness really does count!

Thank you, laundry girl. <3

2. Rhetorical Analysis Reflection

Reflecting on the recent Rhetorical Analysis reveals some riveting insights into my writing process. This paper wasn't easy for me to write. In fact, when I first began I went about it in the wrong way. I organized my paragraphs by topic, not by rhetorical device. In my mind, this made perfect sense, but after revising and consulting with Sister Steadman, I realized there was a lot of work to do.

Our textbook, Mindful Writing warns against being too proud as a writer. If we can't see the changes that need to be made, we will never accept criticism and never improve. This assignment showed me that I am a good writer, but I can be a better writer when I think deeply about my paper and push myself. I need to let go of my pride and do my best to improve. 

Writing this rhetorical analysis also taught me a lot about what I value in a topic. I am really happy I chose the speech I did, because I loved analyzing it! JK Rowling is one of my heroes, so it was fun to see the methods she used to connect with her audience. The speech was applicable to my own life, because Harvard graduates and BYU students have similar mindsets as far as academics go. Most importantly, this paper helped me be more creative in analyzing and more effective in organizing.

Color-coding the speech and creating an outline worked well for me. Being flexible and revising my thesis were helpful as well.

1. Love and Ramen

I have looked forward to college for most of my life. Sure, I got a little more apprehensive as high school graduation loomed closer and closer, but for the most part I was ready. I jumped into Summer term at BYU with enthusiasm and vigor. When Fall semester rolled around, I wasn't even nervous. I had aced my finals, had great new roommates, and a term of college life already under my belt. And then everything changed.

Campus was flooded with people. I had 15 credits instead of 6. My Writing 150 teacher wanted us to...blog?? My expectations for Fall fell short.

The good news is that I'm getting into the swing of things. Fall is going to be different than Summer, and that's okay. So many times we have expectations for our lives and things go in the complete opposite direction. That's just Heavenly Father's plan. When I was 10 years old, my expectations for college were that I would fall in love and eat a lot of Ramen noodles. When I was 16, those expectations shifted. And they have changed within even one week.

Expectations and hopes for the future can change in the blink of an eye. The important thing is to stay flexible, and to keep an eternal perspective. I'm not eating Ramen everyday, and I'm certainly not in love (yet...) But I am learning, growing, and experiencing college to the fullest.

I'm looking forward to writing this blog and sharing my thoughts with the world. Sharing stories is one of the most vital parts of human connection. Expect to see and read stories from my family, stories from my classes, and stories from my childhood. Hopefully as I write, my stories will help me sort out the tangled bowl of noodles that make up me. :)