My Favorite Things

Sun rises.
Smiles.
Families.
The hugs friends give to each other after pouring out their souls.
Teddy bears, always available to listen and comfort.
People who are passionate about life.
Babies.
Happily married couples.
Weeds, being an example of persisting through great opposition.
Friends who can talk about almost anything.
Sunflowers.
Laughing with friends.
Rose buds.
Being happy.

Letters To My Future Family

I write letters to my future family about my schooling, particularly when I get really frustrated and just want to stop. When I can't seem to focus. When I think there isn't really any point in what I am doing. When I am doing badly.
This helps me focus more on the long-term perspective, and how going through all of the effort to actually do my work will help me in becoming who I want to be and doing what I want to do.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to share a letter with you, because they are for my family. But it will help illustrate what I mean, so I guess I will. I just went and looked through some of my homework and found this at the end of one of my weekly brief debates, when I had spent about five hours just in research on the relationship between the United States and Iran:

"Dear future family, I am doing this for you.

Yes, I do feel an obligation to my country to keep informed on current events, and yes, I do want to better myself. But just now when I was about to allow myself to be distracted I remembered a couple of things.

I remembered how I want to be able to teach my children not only about historical events like these affairs in Iran, but research skills. I want to be able to inspire you to better ourselves through studying. I don’t want you to look at mother and say that if she didn’t, neither do you.

Secondly, I remembered how I want my dearest friend in the world to be able to have intelligent conversation with his partner. I don't want him to have a silly wife who doesn't know anything about either academic subjects or how to appropriately be a respectable human being.

So thank you for inspiring me. <3"

Going Home

"And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

-Enos 1:27

"And now it came to pass that his father died, being eighty and two years old, having lived to fulfil the commandments of God."

-Mosiah 29:45

"And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen."

-Moroni 10:34

This is how I want to feel when it's time for me to leave this earth. Like I'm going home, because that's what I am doing, really. Going home after having done my best to be better.