29 November - 5 December 2021
This was my last week of working at the ice skating rink! I kind of feel bad about how excited I was to not work there anymore, especially because people were sad to hear I was leaving. I did it! I finished strong. I endured. The highlights of this week include:
Me talking Sean into playing a violin duet for the ward Christmas program with me! Aww yeah, it's gonna be so good!
On Thursday, I fulfilled the last wish I said I'd grant from the Relief Society activity all of those months ago. I delivered a singing Christmas gram to Sicily at her job (she teaches seminary). I don't know why in the world I thought it would be fun when I volunteered to do it, because let me tell ya, it was not fun! I was actually so nervous. I did it though! I walked into her classroom with a Santa hat on and music playing from my speaker and danced and sang to Feliz Navidad. The students were so confused and watched with blank faces, which was not very encouraging, but Sicily had a huge smile and she messaged me later to say I was an angel and she'd received a difficult text that morning and was struggling to put a smile on her face for her students, but then I came and genuinely cheered her up. I attended institute that evening and we had a talk about abortion, and while we didn't really get deep into that issue, we talked a lot about understanding people and being there for them no matter what they do or choose, and I had a great insight come to mind as we talked about not forcing others onto our path, because maybe it's not the path for them. I realized that God created three kingdoms of glory out of love for His children, knowing that all of them have different desires and wants. He didn't say, "Hey, there are three kingdoms" *wink wink* "but the Celestial Kingdom is actually the right choice." It is for those who desire to be and serve as God. I have that driving motivation to always be doing something to help others or better myself or create something new, and if I'm not doing that, I'm not happy or fulfilled. I will need to be in the Celestial Kingdom to maintain that lifestyle of focusing on others feeling loved and cared for. However, others get by day to day by distracting themselves with things that bring them instant pleasure, and they are nice on the surface, or they are nice because they want people to like them, but they would still betray or cheat in small ways, like "If nobody calls me out on skating without paying, I guess I get to it free!" Anyways, I don't even know if that made sense, and I can't completely describe the change in understanding that happened in my mind except to say that this gospel is true, no matter if you walk the covenant path or not. There is a place for you. You don't have to follow the "one and only path" to exaltation. Although that is what I personally want, and what we strive for in the church, if someone isn't living that lifestyle, God doesn't love them any less and has prepared a place for them where they will be happy.
On Saturday, I had the craziest busiest day at work. We had SIX birthday parties going on during the public skate that afternoon! I worked hard. Landon wrote me a Christmas card with a $20 gift card to Target as a going away gift, which I was NOT expecting, so that was kind. That late afternoon, I drove to a park in Mesa to meet a guy from mutual for a date. He roller-bladed around and I brought my unicycle. We did not hit it off, but I tried hard to connect. Then I came home and ate dinner. My parents had the Burnham siblings Christmas family party at our house, so it was busy. Lucy and I snuck down to watch them play some of the games and to eat some of the goodies, of course ;). Then we went to a bonfire in the backyard of a guy in my ward. It was huge! They just dumped a bunch of lighter fluid on the pellets. Lucy and I ditched to go play Wii Mario Kart in the outside tent man-cave and had a blast! The screen was SO old and we were hunched in camping chairs, and it was so fun. Then we left to go back home.
Church today was good. I feel peaceful and grateful today for where I am at. I feel like my understanding of the world and of others is expanding, and is so much bigger than a year or two ago. I am nervous about starting my new job tomorrow because I have never worked full-time before in my life, let alone did it while also doing school part-time! But I fasted today for help, and the answer that came to me was that it'll be hard at first, but that I will adjust and learn trial-by-error until finding a balance that works for me. The hardship will not last forever (and by that, I mean the foreseeable and imaginable future).
Much love,
Emily Burnham
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