Sunsets

I'm not really a fan of changing out of daylight savings time. I don't enjoy how early it gets dark and how short the days feel. By the time my workday ends and hit the highway for my half hour commute, I'm usually mentally and emotionally spent. I drive home in a bit of a daze and, sometimes I'm even glad I make it home safely. But tonight as I was driving home, I realized something I had been missing in the rush of the day... The sunset. The sunset tonight was beautiful. It was nothing out of the ordinary. But as I watched the colors in the sky change through what seemed like a million different shades, I was struck by the beauty of something I get to experience every day. And it's something I tend to take for granted. Then I found this quote: "If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God." {Gilbert K. Chesterton} And that is my job... to provide just one touch of rosy sunset into the lives of my clients. And when I can do that, I do feel I have worked with God. I love this time of year.
***Photo courtesy of Google Images.

Circuits of Highest Potential

"There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential."
Rusty Berkus

I have had many opportunities over the last several weeks to be grateful for friends. Many of my friends live across the country. I am immensely grateful for their love, support, advice, and honesty through many e-mails, chats, texts, and phone calls. And I am immensely grateful for my friends here in Oklahoma... their endless talks, smiles, hugs, and support... The combination of these groups gets me through every day. I have a job where 3 of my most recent friends greet me with smiles, cheerfulness, and appreciation of who I am just as I am. My closest friends in Utah are there, consistently willing to share in my laughter, tears, successes and failures. I love that I have friends and family who do see the good in me, want the best for me, and are willing to help me get wherever I need to be.

I often lose sight of how many people there are in my life who are wonderful and recognize my highest potential even better than I do. I am immensely grateful for all of these people, who in many ways are my angels. Thank you, friends, for being answers to prayers and for "igniting the circuits of [my] highest potential."

Heartbreaking Reminders

There was a murder in Nichols Hills on Monday, November 16, 2009, at approximately 4 AM. A 51-year old man was arrested on first degree murder charges for fatally stabbing his 9-year-old son. The picture of the sweet boy is a stark contrast to the booking picture of his father with a wound to his head. And the arrest affidavit explains a horrendous story about the man, who apparently believed the boy had "the devil in him". This wasn't just any man... this was a doctor, my doctor. And I can't get the images out of my mind. I adored him. Dr. Wolf was kind and concerned and willing to help. I don't know what he was like outside of his practice. There would be some things to indicate I didn't know what he was like in his practice. But I always felt comfortable with him, felt he was a good provider. And I knew he loved his wife and son - he would talk about them in my visits. Dr. Wolf suffered from depression - he had been hospitalized, according to news stories, at least twice for his mental illness. As I read about this story and consider what I know about depression... My only thought is that he suffered psychotic symptoms with his depression that led to delusions so strong, he acted on them. I can't imagine Dr. Wolf is even in a state to realize or understand what he's done. And more than anything, I can't imagine the fear and the pain that poor little boy felt. I pray he didn't suffer long, that he had angels on his side to comfort him.

Every once in awhile, we get reminders that hit close to him about how evil the world can be. It's a painful reminder. It's a reminder that reminds me to be grateful for the life I have led, for the people in my life who are positive influences. It's a reminder of the power of the Atonement and it's saving grace for us all. And it's a reminder that puts things in perspective. It's powerful. It's heartbreaking. It's frightening. And I hate it.