Oh Adele....

This song breaks my heart. Every. Time. I can relate to that point in a relationship when you realize it is time to move on, but a part of you aches for that person and most of all, for what could have been. You find yourself picturing what the future will be like without them. Not only what your future will be like, but what their future will be like without you.

Adele captured that feeling perfectly....which is no surprise since this song is about the end of her relationship. How heartbreaking is the part where she tells him that she wishes nothing but the best for him and his wife? I love Adele because she is so honest and her music is breathtakingly gorgeous. She sings with so much emotion and there is no auto-tuning or embellishment. 

In a world full of Ke$ha's and Lady GaGa's (don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Ke$ha in the proper setting) it is nice to be able to hear something real, honest, and substantial. 

So grab a box of tissues and be prepared for the nostalgia that only Adele can deliver.

*Sidenote: How amazing is this version of the song? It is recorded live at her home! How the heck does she sound that perfect?*

Quote of the Day

What songs take you back to a particular moment or memory? For myself, whenever I hear "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessionals, I am instantly taken back to the summer of my Sophomore year. 

Music is legit.

Boy meets world 4 evahhhhhh

I was chilling on Pinterest this afternoon (have I mentioned how much I love Pinterest? ….because I reallllly do!) when I came across this picture and quote from Boy Meets World, I just had to share it with you for two reasons.

1. I used to LOVE Boy Meets World

and

2. This quote is adorable and rings true of what I think love is :)

 

Corey is talking to his mom about what he thinks love is. He says:

“Mom, listen, I haven’t been together with Topanga for 22 years, but we have been together for 16. That’s a lot longer than most couples have been together. I mean, when we were born, you told me that we used to take walks in our strollers together around the block. When we were two, we were best friends. I mean, I knew everything about this girl. I knew her favorite color, her favorite food. Then we became six, Eric made fun of me because it wasn’t cool to have a best friend that was a girl, or even know a girl. So for the next seven years I threw dirt at her. I like to call those “the lost years”. Then when I was thirteen mom, she pushed me up against my locker and she kissed me. I mean, she gave me my first kiss. She taught me how to dance. She was always talking about these crazy things and I never understood a word she said. All I understood was that she was the girl I sat up every night thinking about, and when I’m with her, I feel happy to be alive. Like I can do anything. Even talk to you like this. So that’s what I think love is mom. When I’m better because she’s here.”

Sigh…How perfect is that? I love this because I have always felt this way about love. I have heard it said that you know you are in love when the other person makes you want to be better. When they inspire you to be kinder, more hardworking, more sincere. You are in love when you cannot even remember what your life was like before that person came along. Now, I know that sounds dramatic and cheesy….but isn’t it true?

I think that one of the reasons why there is so much divorce and unfaithfulness in the world, is because people stop doing those things that made them fall in love with each other in the first place. They stop inspiring each other to be better. They stop working together and teaching each other.

 I am not currently in a serious relationship, but from past experience, I know that relationships take work. I hope and pray that when I reach the point where I am with the man that I’m going to marry, I will always remember that. I hope that I remember to appreciate my husband for who he is and not fault him for who he is not. Marriage will certainly not be easy, but it will be soooo worth it!

Quote of the Day

What is one of your favorite quotes about love, or the best piece of advice you’ve received?

"To make you feel my love"

Today I was struck by a quote that was on the program in Sacrament Meeting. The quote is by Joseph B. Wirthlin and he said that “even though the tasks of life become heavy, and although sorrow thrusts a drooping burden upon us, the light that emanates from our Savior beckons us on, undismayed.”

I thought about how the definition of having faith in something is trusting in things that you cannot see. For me, I do not doubt that God is real. For me, that is an absolute. I do not even normally struggle with remembering that Heavenly Father loves me…even when I may be in the midst of trials. But, sure enough, lately I have been lacking faith in his wisdom and in his timing.

I hope that I am not the only stubborn one out there that wants my plans to come together all of the time. I think that of course I know what is best for myself….because the only good things in life are those that you plan and wish to happen. Right? WRONG.

Well, I have definitely started to realize that not everything in life goes as planned, but you know what, sometimes it goes even better than you could have imagined. All of the bad things that I have had to endure in my life have made me stronger, and have taught me life-altering lessons.

That quote was reassuring to me because it lets me know that no matter what, I am loved and looked after. When I can no longer bear the stress and worry, I need to turn it over to the Lord and let him work his magic. I also have to trust that even when I cannot see the path that I should take, he does. When I take a step into the darkness, I will be rewarded with more light and direction.

I do not know about you, but I LOVE music. I love listening to a song that describes my mood, or that puts into words things that I want to say…but don’t know how.

Today, I was listening to the song “Make you feel my love” by Adele and I thought that instead of someone singing it to a boyfriend or girlfriend, it could be like having The Lord sing it to you.

When the evening shadows

And the stars appear

And there is no on

There to dry your tears

I could hold you

For a million years

To make you feel my love

or

I’d go hungry

I’d go black and blue

I’d go crawling

Down the avenue

No, there’s nothing

That I wouldn’t do

To make you feel my love

Isn’t that the best feeling ever? Knowing that there will always be someone that loves you no matter what. Someone that loves you at your weakest, in your imperfections. This Sunday I am grateful for knowing that. I am grateful for unconditional love.

Wow! Sorry for that tirade, I just had to get it all out!

Quote of the Day

I hope my post didn’t seem like a sermon! But how can I not talk about something that brings me sooo much joy?!

Who/What brings you peace?

A sniffley Saturday

I’m going to let ya’ll in on a little secret….but only if you promise not to tell, or judge me! 

I want you to cross your heart and swear to die. Ok, here it goes…….

I am an emotional weirdo… There, I said it.

I’m the type of girl that cries from Hallmark commercials. The type of girl that melts at the sight of a baby, or an elderly couple still madly in-love. I cry at the drop of a hat….and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried at the end of “Ice Age”. If you are wondering what there is to cry about in that movie, the answer is…when the animals say goodbye to the little baby at the end. tear.

So keep this information in mind, as I paint a picture for you.

It is a rainy Saturday afternoon and I am sitting on the couch all warm and snuggly in my pjs. For the sake of me not feeling too lazy let’s just tell a little white lie and say that it is 12 pm because I surely would not still be in my pjs at 4:30 in the evening……ahem, back to the story.

I turn on the t.v. and start flipping through the channels. My go-to show, “Say Yes To The Dress” is unfortunately M.I.A, so my next show of choice is “One Born Every Minute”, a show about babies :)

*Remember, you made a promise not to judge me….this includes thinking that I’m a weirdo….mkay?)

So, I’m watching the show, ooooing and ahhhhing over the adorable babies, when all of a sudden, my emotionometer starts to rise. You see, on the show, they are featuring a woman that is giving her twin babies up for adoption. The adoptive parents are pacing the hospital hallways,  both anxious and scared to death. They are sooo excited to meet their new babies, but terrified that the mom may change her mind about giving the babies up. This sweet couple had been married for 15 years and had been struggling for 13 years with infertility.  I found myself transfixed, offering up a silent prayer in my heart that the birth mom would help this couple make their dreams a reality, as if my wishing would help...after all, it was a pre-recorded t.v. show!

When the moment of truth came, the babies were lovingly given to this adoptive couple. They broke down in tears as their new little boy and girl were placed in their arms. They whispered their gratitude and sobbed as they hugged this young mother that had just given them the best gift they had ever been given. The gift of life. The gift of a family. I. lost.it. My emotions reached their limit and I could not control the tears any longer.

You see, I am a Family Studies major, and I am seriously considering becoming a Social Worker. I myself am adopted and if you missed that part of my story, you can check it out here. I have a major testimony of adoption and of how great it can be. Watching this show solidified my dream of someday becoming a Social Worker. I thought about how hard it must have been for that woman to give up her children. 

You could see the pain on her face as she said goodbye to them. Even though it was hard, she did it because she knew she could not provide those babies with what they needed. She gave them up because she loved them and wanted a better life for them.

I have recently decided that if possible, I would love to adopt someday. I want to of course have my own biological children, but I want to make a difference in the world by adopting a child in need.

I guess I never really thought about how hard it must have been for  my birth mom to give me up for adoption. Granted I was not a baby when I was adopted, but I think that makes the situation even harder. My birth mom had time to get to know me. I feel like I have spent so much of my life resenting her. I have resented the fact that she made the choices that she did. Even though I am happy with the way my life has turned out, I guess I sometimes wonder what could have happened if my birth mom could have made things work.

So, today I cried out of happiness for others, and out of forgiveness and gratitude. You see, today, for the first time, I  truly recognize how grateful I am for what my birth mother did. I am grateful that although she could not love me in the way that I needed, she loved me the best that she could. She loved me enough to give me the chance to be loved and to have a great life. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

Wow. Sorry for the length and heaviness of this post…I did not see that coming!

On a lighter note, here is a picture of my family circa 2000…my dad still had hair!

* I know that for some reason I am not smiling...but I assure you...I was happy :)

Quote of the Day

Please tell me that I am not the only emotional basket-case. What crazy thing do you find yourself tearing up at? Come on, you can tell me! Secrets are best shared among friends :)