I Love My Family

   I am so blessed to have been raised in the family I was raised in. I was able to learn morals, values, respect, and many other important things which made me a responsible adult. I'm definitely not perfect, but I am so glad I have the family I have.

   I came across a profile on Facebook earlier of a childhood best friend. Some of you already know who I am speaking of. We lived only a few houses down from each other and became best friends in 2nd grade. Looking at her profile and seeing her life now just saddens me. Growing up, she was daddy's perfect princess. She got to wear whatever she wanted, do whatever she wanted, stay up as late as she wanted; pretty much anything she wanted she got. Often times she was a sweet girl and a great friend... but she wasn't always a great friend (and I admit, I probably wasn't the best either); thus the reason our friendship lasted until Jr. high. She had a habit of gossiping and spreading false rumors about people. She was desperate to be in the center of attention at all times. It was something I could never understand. Her parents loved her- so why was she so desperate for attention? She would easily drop friendships if it gave her the opportunity to fit in with the popular crowd.

  I couldn't understand her behavior until I was older. It's because she had no rules to follow. She got away with whatever she wanted. As a child, I was jealous of that. My parents made me go to bed at a certain time, do certain things, follow certain rules. She thoroughly like to rub it in my face and tease me about being Mormon and living with strict parents. At one point, while back-talking my mom, my dad sent me to my room as punishment- and because she was never disciplined in her life, she was appalled and told several people in the school I was being beaten and abused by my father. This caused phone calls to my parents, teachers and counselors approaching me to "talk about it", students coming to me and telling me they knew somebody who could help me. I was shocked. Luckily the whole situation worked out in the end when there was no evidence of my abuse and my friend admitted she went overboard.

 In high school, because of her rumor-spreading habit, she lost a majority of her friends and was far from popular. This is when she decided to get pregnant. At age 15. I could tell you it was an accident, but she fully admitted it was a planned pregnancy because she wanted to prove to everyone she was sexually active- therefore cool and popular. What a tragedy.

Fast forward to years later. Divorced with 3-4 kids (can't remember) and parents who provide for her.  Seeing her profile, I couldn't feel anything but sadness.  She bleached her already blonde hair, got a massive boob job, got tattooed up and trashier than the norm, changed her name to a stripper-sounding name, and ran off and married a woman.

Mom and Dad, thank you so much for being strict with me. Thank you for setting rules. Thank you for punishing me and disciplining me for my actions. Thank you for always "being on my back" about pretty much anything and snooping at the appropriate times.  We never really understand when we're younger why our parents are so "mean", but as we get older, it completely makes sense. I met a wonderful man. I married in the temple. I understood the true power of forgiveness and repentance and because of it, was able to wipe clean of the mistakes I made in the past and move forward (and I committed some pretty serious sins). I was able to always recognize the Holy Ghost. Sure, sometimes it's tough being raised in an LDS church. Kids can be mean. But look at my life now. Totally worth it. Totally and completely worth it. I'm hoping someday those in my family who don't see it now in their lives will see it later- so they can get a full understanding as well and be able to live in happiness and harmony. All in God's timing.

I don't care if I was labeled weird or strange. Luckily I had many friends in the church who understood and I'm sure most of you experienced that as well. And while there were moments when I was ashamed and embarrassed, I am far from it. YES, I AM Mormon and I'm happy to be. No, I don't drink or take drugs. No, I don't drink coffee or tea. No, I don't cuss or swear. Yes, I do dress modestly. Oh, but why all the rules? Rules are what people don't understand about Mormons. What rules? Oh, you mean respecting yourself and taking care of your body? Having morals and values? Being happy? Forgiving others? Sounds horrifying, right? :)

Anyway, that was my ramble for the day. I'll just end by saying I love my parents and family with all my heart. I am glad I had a protective (and often mean) older brother who just wanted to make sure I turned out okay and didn't run off and marry a criminal. I'm glad I had siblings I fought with constantly (even though I'm sure we stressed our parents out more than anything) and a childhood I wish I could re-live over and over because it was so spectacular despite the trials. You guys are the best!

PS- Fitness blog updated! If you haven't been there in awhile, there may be a few posts you missed.