CookieJar

  Writing a story with elements of a religion that is not my own is intimidating to say the least. However, I find Hinduism to be so rich and beautiful that I am not surprised I had a dream about it! I just had to write the dream down. I named my characters Harry (as in the devotional chant "Hare Krishna") and Halwai (as in the common man caste). Harry is meant to represent Krishna, who is so loving and compassionate a God, he reminds me of Jesus. He is sometimes portrayed as a child, usually blue-the color of Heaven, and has multiple arms. I love to think of Jesus as my most faithful childhood friend. The best childhoods are made up of sunny afternoons of earned playtime. Harry and Halvay met on one such afternoon. Halvay had spent the morning completing the arduous task of sitting still to read and learn against his will. Then he had to help his mama with so many chores, he was sure he would collapse of sheer exhaustion. Halwai was thinking he and his overworked little arms...

I just love analogies. I heard this one on my mission and I wish I could remember the brother's name who told it as well as the exact way he did so. Here is the way I'll tell it: In a beautiful, verdant, vibrant jungle there lived a tiny, ugly, and weak little worm. No one stops to admire such a little worm, especially not in a spectacular looking jungle. One night the little worm had a very special dream when he went to the summit of the tallest mountain in the jungle. The view was unforgettably beautiful and overwhelmingly inspiring. When he awoke he immediately and with diligent determination began a journey to the top of the mountain. So much so that he drew the attention of many of the animals in the jungle.  A tiger observed him in silence one day until prompted by a great curiosity he asked “Listen here little worm-where are you going in such a…hurry?”  “I am going to the top of the mountain” panted little worm enthusiastically. “There my dream will come true!”  Ti...

Me encantan los analogías y las historias. Escuche este en mi misión en Chile. No recuerdo el nombre del hermano que ni como lo conto pero así es como lo cuento yo: En un selva hermosa, verde, y vibrante habia un gunsanito pequeño, débil y feito . Uno no para en su camino para admirar un gusano, especialmente en una selva como esta. Una noche este gusanito tuvo un sueño muy especial, donde el subio hasta la cima del monte mas alta en la selva. La vista que le espero alli era inolvidablemente bella, y sumamente inspiradora. Cuando el gusanito desperto inmediatamente empeso su viaje hasta la cima de este monte, y andaba en su camino con determinacion y diligencia.  Tanto asi que los animales de la selva se dieron cuenta del gusanito. Un tigre lo estaba observando en silencio cuando la curiosidad de ese gran gato le hizo pedir una explicacion-  "Oye gusanito, a donde vas con tanta priza?"  "Voy al cime del monte" dijo el gusanito con gusto "donde mi sueño se cump...

This one I wrote after a long day of visiting while Melody was still a little newborn. I remember holding her as I told her this story and although she didn't understand what I was saying she calmed down and I felt so peaceful. There was once a princess so pretty and cute, people came from all over to see her smile, hear her coo, and even toot! All their faces made her feel weary and scared, but seeing her made them them happy so no one really cared, except the king and queen who said in a tone not at ALL sappy, "our dear sweet girl who brings us such joy should not be so unhappy, we won't lock her away in a tower or hide her in a cave, she might need to see some people and she'll learn to be brave, but we must protect her and keep her feeling safe, and if so many visitors makes her little soul chafe, we will tell them the 'the princess isn't feeling it today! come back tomorrow and she might want to play!' Then we''l hold her so close (if she wants...

This is a story I came up with once when I was practicing rhyming. I like to repeat it to Melody and although it always changes I want to save the gist of it here so my baby remembers how wonderful it is to be herself. Once upon time, there was a green bear,  Who loved to look at his pretty green hair, Until one day he didn't know what to think when he saw a beautiful bear that was pink! "Oh wow! What a lovely pelt!  I wish I looked like you instead of myself! It's just not fair! Why am I green?!" He grumbled and growled and felt very mean "You know," said pink bear, "I once thought like that too,  I saw a brown bear and then I felt blue. I went to see the Great Bear of the mountain and I felt so much better when I found them They're full of glee and pink like me You need to go and see!" Off the green bear went stomping along hoping the Great Bear could right what was wrong. Green bear climbed up up up, He went "huff huff huff" to a b...

 How do you decide what advantages and disadvantages you want to live with?  There are certain privileges and difficulties we have no control over in this life. I am curious about the things you can choose to live with. Ryan and I have moved so much during the last year, 你看一下： Last July while we were in Nevada, my mother-in-law said "there are pros and cons about anywhere you live". I have now experienced living in cities that were so unlike each other, that feels like the only thing I could say about all of them. There were things I liked about each city, and our situation in it, and there were things I didn't like.  There was something hard about life in each city. Even when I was in places I really wanted to be, I couldn't escape the tough stuff. I have felt anguish over political turmoil, downturns in my mental health, grief that seemed to be over nothing at all, anxiety about my family, deeply exhausted and lonely lonely lonely. We were stolen from, criticized, i...