My favorite season, month, weather, and all around favorite time of year are going on right now. There are only 21 days to Thanksgiving and 54 days until Christmas (but who's counting...) and I could not be more excited!
To be honest, it's a little bittersweet saying goodbye to October. There were some major highlights, but there were some things I was happy to get through with my sanity still intact... and maybe I'm still working on getting through some of that.
With that being said, Thanksgiving is coming up! This holiday has always been one that is near and dear to my heart. I've had some pretty incredible Thanksgivings the past few years (some WAY more adventurous than others...) and it's really made me reflect on how grateful I am for the things that I have gone through and for the people that have in one way or another contributed to who I am and where I am today.
So I am in the mood to be a little more vocal about these things that I am grateful for ('tis the season), because honestly, there are some things for which I will never be able to express enough gratitude. And I promise not every post will be this long and without pictures, but this is my blog and and extension of my journal so I don't care if people think it's long and boring.
Story time:
(If you're not LDS, some terms might not make sense to you, but you'll understand the story.)
It was the end of my third year of college and I just had my heart broken. We've all been there. This this was a particularly terrible breakup... it still makes me a little ill to think about those days. Dark times. On top of all that, I had been really stressed out and feeling lost because I had no plans; no job, nowhere to live. I had to be out of my apartment by a certain date and I was leaving to go visit my dad in Brazil for a few weeks right after school got out so it was difficult to find a job or a place to live and to leave all of my belongings. I knew I wasn't going (nor did I want to) go back to NJ to live with my family for the summer and I knew I needed to stay in Utah. I was praying harder than I had in a while.
One particular Sunday I was pretty much praying for a miracle even though I felt like I was less than deserving of one. So I sat there during the service with a prayer in my heart wondering how I was going to get through the coming week. After sacrament meeting the the High Councilman's wife, Ruth Cartee, came up to me asking me what my plans were for the summer and if I was going to be staying in the ward. I told her I wasn't sure because I was in a little bit of a tight spot where I was going to be homeless in a few days and I kind of laughed it off like it was no big deal (that's how I cope sometimes). Then right there, on the spot, without thinking twice about it, she offered me the spare bedroom in her home and invited me to come and live with her and her family for the summer or as long as I needed to free of charge, no strings attached.
Seriously?
Is this real life?
You want to talk about people who are heaven sent and answers to prayers, Sister Cartee was just that person. For a moment, I didn't take her seriously, I mean, how could I because this was too good to be true. So I laughed and I asked her if she needed to ask her husband first, and being the sassy lady that she is said "I'm the boss and he thinks the world of you and he'll be happy to have you there too." She was completely serious. When I realized what had landed in my lap it literally felt like a weight had been lifted (sounds a little contradictory, I know). In this particular ward I wasn't very social and didn't really tell people anything about my life and mostly just kept to myself, so there is no way she knew about what was going on in my life unless some kind of inspiration just entered her mind, which is truly what I believe happened.
I moved into their beautiful home just a few days after that. I pretty much had my own little apartment in there. It was a huge blessing. (Side note: The following week while I was in Brazil a friend of mine told me she found a house and asked me to be one of her housemates for the school year, another miracle in itself.) The Cartees invited me back the following summer. They are both a little older and retired, but still hardworking people. They have a beautiful garden which they take excellent care of and grow pretty much all of their own vegetables and some fruit. I loved just sitting in their front room with them, listening to their stories and chatting about life. I'm a little bit of an old soul so I love being with people and knowing their stories, especially those who have a few more years life experience under their belts. Ruth and Ray Cartee are like my second grandparents. They even come to my shows and concerts. I love these people like my own family and will never be able to truly express to them what the two summers I spent with them meant to me. It was some of the most defining times of life and they took me in and loved me like I was their granddaughter. I still go out to their place and visit them when I can and every time I drive out there it feels like I'm driving home.
I already plan to head out to their place sometime soon to give them some more thanks and to share the love.
Bottom line: Go thank someone who helped you out in a time of need, big or small.
BIG FAT PS (as if this wasn't already a novel of a post...) I am SO grateful that my friends and family in NJ and NY are safe and doing alright after Hurricane Sandy. There was definitely a lot of destruction, but seriously, there are some STRONG people out there and I know everyone is doing their part and helping each other out.
Lots to be thankful for this year.
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