What I've Learned This Year

So its no secret that this past year has been most trying. But the lessons learned have been invaluable. I have learned that as difficult as life gets you are never alone - that there definitely is a God who loves and knows us individually. I have learned that no matter how you try to do the right thing there are some people who will always believe you are bad and there is nothing you can do to change their minds. I have learned to be true to myself in spite of all the bad things that have been said about me. I have learned that if you are true to yourself you will be blessed immensely with piece of mind and people who know you for who you are. I have learned that as much as you so want something in your life that maybe that something isn't always good for and you have to let it go. I have learned that I can NOT live this life without the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I have learned that I am a survivor and that because of this it appears that I never need help when in reality I do. I have learned that you can laugh and cry hard all in the same day. I have learned more about the gifts I've been blessed with and not to second guess them. I have learned that I married the most amazing man who is a far stronger person than i am and who is my partner in all things. And, it goes without saying that my kids continue to amaze me and I learn the most from them.

My senior year in college I did my senior thesis on the Jewish concentration camps and Victor Frankel's book "Man's Search For Meaning". It was definitely my greatest accomplishment achieved in my college career. I studied the life of the Jewish people while in the camps and hadn't at that time understood the magnitude it took to survive such an ordeal - not until this year that is. Now, I would never equate my life to that of life in a concentration camp. However, I understand the mind set it takes to survive and to survive well. Even when you think you can't possibly endure anymore, I'm here to say you can. Somehow. Some way. You can. And no matter how the outside forces of this crazy world try to break you down you still have the choice on how you're going to survive. And this was the greatest lesson I learned this year -- how I was going to survive.