I love lists. To do lists make me feel like I'm accomplishing even the most mundane thing to even the more important life milestones. I love lists of books that friends recommend to me. I love lists that come in form of travel itineraries because that means I'm going somewhere and doing something that I love. I love lists of blogs that I read for inspiration, to keep up to date with friends and family members.
My list today will be of [enter any noun you want here] I love and why. Be ready.
1. My sister. She is one of the loveliest people I know. She's boisterous, crazy, courageous, non-judgmental and deeply loyal to the people she loves. Especially her friends. She knows what she wants in life and goes after it.
And I love her.
2. My friends. There are few people that I can actually call friend. Most people in my life are merely acquaintances. You know, like the dinner friends or the game night friends. The people I can call my friends are the ones that, even if a month or two go by without seeing each other, we can carry on like we saw each other the day before. They know personal details of my life that I don't normally share with the general public. They are people that I look up to.
3. My amazing siblings. I have 4 brothers, 1 sister and they are truly lovely people. They'll call you out on your crap and then they'll tell you they love you and shine a little light on a better way of doing things. They were my first friends in life. We've cried together. We've rejoiced together. We've stuck together when everything else is breaking down around us. From the three brothers who have married, I have gained three amazing sisters in law who are compassionate, witty, wonderful mothers and wives. My brothers are lucky to have found such good, GOOD women to marry.
4. My 6 nieces and 1 (lone) nephew. Oh my. I have such smart, gregarious, beautiful nieces. They are so wonderful and are definitely a handful. My nephew is so so so cute! He definitely knows it and will likely play that card as long as he remains the lone nephew in the family.
5. My religion. I count myself lucky that I have the eternal perspective that I've gained through inspired leaders and teachers who know, just as much as I do, that we have a loving Heavenly Father and a Savior who atoned for my sins, my shortcomings, my inadequacies. I know in my heart that The Book of Mormon is true. I've been through too much to doubt it's validity and the spirit of that book has spoken to my heart and soul of its truthfulness. Because of my beliefs, I've come to have hope and faith in things that otherwise wouldn't seem possible without a Plan of Happiness to guide us back to a loving Heavenly Father. Prayers have been uttered and blessings have been bestowed. The Holy Ghost has whispered to my heart reconfirming the truth of lessons learned.
6. Music. My life would indeed be empty without any sort of melody in it. I can't go a day without putting my earphones on and scrolling through my iPod. I have music for all moods of life. I have music to uplift. I have music to calm. I have music to get me through that last quarter mile. I have music to remember.
7. Nature. The Great Outdoors. Whatever you call it, I love being surrounded by it. I couldn't picture my life without being surrounded by the beauties of the earth. I love the majestic mountains of Utah. I love the ocean. I love beautiful camping spots by lakes surrounded by tall fragrant pine trees. I love being able to garden. I love the earth so much, I reduce, reuse and recycle.
8. My heritage. My nationality. My ancestors. Sometimes you can't tell if I'm Polynesian, Mexican or Asian. I'm all three. I love what each part of who I am has to offer. Because of my ancestors, I live in a country that, as imperfect as it is, abounds in freedoms and opportunities. Because of my ancestors, I've had been blessed with my membership in the Church. Because of who I am as a Mexiwaiianese - or Mexican, Hawaiian, Japanese - I'm able to pass down specific traditions to my someday children.
9. My Gramma Rachel. She'll be turning 80 years old next year and in her almost eighty years, she has passed down wisdom of days gone by to my siblings and me. Because of her, I've learned about my mother's father and what kind of person he was. Because of my Grandma, I have learned the value of a dollar and the value of work even more. My Grandma hasn't had an easy life by any means, but I have never heard her complain and I love that about her. She has finally found happiness through the grief and pain of life.
10. My momma. I rarely talk about momma, but I love her nonetheless. She is the woman I long to be like. My momma has taught me of perseverance, hope, hard work, faith, and courage. She taught me to cook, how to garden, how to keep a clean home, and how to be thrifty. My momma taught me to appreciate what I have. She encouraged me to gain knowledge, to read, to gain my own testimony, to be kind. She never complained if I was late every day to seminary as long as I went. She was the best wear-er of red lipstick. She made wonderful meals from seemingly boring ingredients. She taught me the importance of cancer screenings and to take care of myself from the inside out. My momma helped me realize that I can make it through anything. She taught me that it was okay to miss her sometimes. My dad is lucky to have found my mom and for the short time they had together. Together, my parents reinforced the importance of a temple marriage and that it isn't always easy to be married but that love is part of what ties a marriage together.
11. Incredibly poignant quotes that can be found in the most unlikely places. Like this one by Meridith Grey on
Grey's Anatomy.
"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is. Appreciate small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human. Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate."
And this one. Same person, same show.
"You know when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be. White dress, Prince Charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill. You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them. But eventually you grow up, and one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. But the thing is its hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely 'cause almost everyone has the smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true."
Okay, so I know 11 isn't a nice round number, but who cares? These are some of the things that I love. Experiences that have made my life that much more enjoyable. These are people that have made my life complete.
So....
thanks. :)
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