Thursday, September 22, 2011

Biggest Fan: My Roommates

Clockwise from top left corner: 2am Wendy's run, Temple Square Christmas Lights, Sing-a-ma-jigs, St. George, Disneyland, After Morgan's play "Civil War", at Matt's work party, in Las Vegas, St. George, UMEA conference
I adore my roommates. So very much. It has been my great pleasure to live with two amazing girls for the last year, and I'm so excited to get another year off and running. In case you didn't know, we live in a two-story duplex, two rooms on the ground level and two in the basement. Sometimes the bottom dwellers have to come upstairs to socialize, but we do a lot of our social activity in the kitchen or main basement room.

The Top 10 Reasons Why I Love My Roommates (in no particular order):

1. They Inspire Me.
          These are two women who are doing what they love. They have ideas and hopes to make the world a better place in whatever way they can, and they share those ideas with anyone who will listen. 

2. They are Beautiful.
          My roommates are beautiful, beautiful people. Not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. They are kind souls who deeply care about others. They are not ones for excessive primping, but they care for themselves. They stay healthy (though we're not beyond runs to Wendy's and for ice cream), and take care of their bodies.

3. They are Hilarious.
          I cannot tell you how much we laugh at our house. We have a board of quotes in the kitchen, and it's constantly being updated with new phrases that someone said and we just had to write down. These quotes all come from the roommates or our close friends/family, and it's so fun to look back and remember the times we were crying from laughing so hard. You know that show "Kids Say the Darndest Things"? Well, you could make a television show out of the ridiculous antics that happen in our house, both verbal and behavioral. 

4. They are Spontaneous.
          This December, we randomly decided that it would be fun to go to Disneyland over Spring Break. So we did. Many nights, we find ourselves out in the boonies on an abandoned road just driving in the moonlight (this is mostly thanks to an unemployed and bored friend who needs something to do). We've gone searching for the most extravagant homes in the area, It's not uncommon to find us searching Sugarhouse for food at 2am, or deciding to taste test the two 'best' Thai restaurants in SLC.  

5. They are Meaningful.
          Both of these fabulous women have been a part of some of the deepest and most meaningful conversations that I've ever had. Late at night you can hear Morgan and I discussing some theological difference between our religious beliefs, or talking about a psychological concept that affects our thought processes. So many nights we've congregated on Anna's queen-size bed to talk about relationships, family, friends, school, and how we relate to one another, other people, and ourselves. In each of these conversations and discussions, I'm challenged to think and respond to very specific topics. It's so amazing what the trust of each other can do to open up meaningful conversation among those who are much together.

6. They are Helpful.
          Whenever you need something, or you're stressed, it's roommates to the rescue. Last year, when I stage managed, it was such a blessing to have one of my roommates ask "Do you need anything?" when they could see I was in over my head. They're always willing to contribute their expertise to whatever you're studying or writing about. It's like a constant informational swap meet, where education is synthesized with psychology and literature. Need to study for a test? There's a good chance that one of these awesome ladies will be around and willing to drill you about the elements of Old English grammar. ;-) (*cough* Help me! *cough*)

7. They are Creative.
          One of my roommates is an artist who has also written a piano piece, and the other is an actress and singer. Both these women are singers, actually; that's how we met, in Chamber Singers. Music is always a presence in our house, in many different genres and periods. The art and artistic pursuits of my roommates is a fun thing to be a part of. When rehearsals are going on for a show, we get to hear about them, and when a new drawing or painting is done, we get to see it hung up in the room. One of these days I'm sure we'll be having a crafty day to celebrate the onset of fall. 

8. They are Supportive.
          I know I mentioned their helpfulness two points ago, but this one is a little different. When someone decides to audition for a show, the roommates are the first to offer support and encouragement. They're ready to hear you sing your 16 bars or recite your monologue. But their support doesn't end there. When I'm behind on homework or have to write a paper, they are ready to offer encouraging words and advice for how to begin. When you're ill, they are ready to help make you feel better. If you're having a breakdown, they're the first ones to let you know that people are there who love and support you. They don't judge your shortcomings, and offer suggestions to help you find solutions to problems (both personal and academic).

9. They are Happy.
          Not to say that the lives of my roommates are sunshine-daisies-and-unicorns, but they are positive and upbeat. When life just isn't handing them a good situation, they seek the positive elements, the learning experience from that negativity. For me, happiness/joy are not fleeting emotions, but rather states of being, and these women live in a state of joy most of the time. They are excited to find small things in life that are exciting, and look for ways to have fun. They smile so much, and their smiles spread to others. They are not afraid to be silly and indulge their childish sides. They live happy and make others that way too. 

10. They are Passionate.
          This one kind of ties in with #1, being inspiring, but this one deals more with their personal attitudes rather than the effect of those attitudes on me. Both of these women are pursuing what they love and are good at. One is an aspiring neuropsychologist, channeling her love for the brain and experiments into a diagnostic field, and the other is living out her love for children as an elementary school teacher. They know what they like, what they love, and what they're good at, and they want to use those skills and passions to help others to learn and recover. This is an inspiring passion.

We may not always do the dishes or vacuum the stairs, we have dance parties and murder mystery parties, we keep Christmas trees up until after Valentine's Day, and we can't seem to keep the TV in one room, but we like it that way. To my dear Morgan and Anna, thank you for letting me be part of your lives this last year. I am looking forward to our continued friendship and adventures together. You are lovely and amazing.

Love, Me.

P.S. - Be on the lookout for posts about these individual roommates later in the year.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Biggest Fan: Britni

 I would like to introduce you to my amazing and wonderful friend Britni. The photos you see are: with her boyfriend, diving, and with her sister. Britni and I met in the 6th grade during a play, I remember she was always smiling. We got to be better friends as middle school progressed, singing together in choir and taking classes together. We wrote a newspaper and distributed it to our friends (we were soooo cool, can you tell?), and even developed our own system of rating boys we thought were cute.We once decided we were going to open our own candy store and started hashing out ideas. Currently, our projects are the following: Creating our own school, Writing a book of our email correspondence, and eventually having a gigantic communal backyard somewhere in Oregon...at which time we'll be living near one another and working together, of course. :)
 
One thing Britni has always been is full of life. She's excited about living and there's never a dull moment when you're with her. Whether it's jamming out to Elvis or 80s music, kneeboarding behind a boat, or participating in a hula-hoop contest, for Brit, life is about participation. There's no sitting on the sidelines for this amazing woman. Recently, I was asked to think about someone who I hold in great respect (that was not a family member) and why. One of the first people who came to mind was Brit. As the group I was in started naming the people and traits we admired most, I was so excited to be able to say Britni because she is full of life. The word I would use to describe her is a Greek word: ζωή (zoe). It means: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ (New Testament Greek Lexicon).

It has been my privilege to be a friend to Britni, and to know her as she pursues the path laid before her. Watching her faith grow and develop has been a great honor. I love being able to talk with her and know that she will give me a Godly perspective and friendly encouragement. Our friendship has been strengthened by distance, even though we see each other rarely, we communicate regularly. So much so that at any given moment, one of us probably has a really good idea of what's going on in the life of the other. She tolerates my nerdy jokes and geekiness about language and literature. She encourages me with her prayers and words of strength. She challenges me to step outside my comfort zone. She keeps me accountable when I'm feeling like a jellybean. 

It is very rare that such a friend may be found, and this beautiful, beautiful woman is a very treasured friend. She has always been incredibly beautiful and magnetic. People are drawn to her, and she energizes the places and people she interacts with. Britni shines so brightly, and others can't help but notice that something amazing is going on in her life...and they want to be a part of it.

Britni, Thank you for letting me be a part of your life. I am so honored to be your friend, and look forward to our continued journey through life together!

I love you immensely!

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