Remember, Remember.

Sometimes I get kinda bummed about the world. I'd say for the most part I have a pretty optimistic outlook on life, but when I watch the news or hear tragic stories about a friend and just think, 
why are people so bad? 

And then I remember the hippie guy at the bakery in Kauai’i who saw us peeking in the windows an hour after he closed the shop--he came around back and surprised us with two, giant chocolate-chip macadamia nut cookies that still visit my dreams on occasion. 

I remember the photographer on the cliffs of Hawaii who could tell we wanted a picture together so he offered to snap one for us and it ended up being one of my favorite pictures of the trip.

 I remember the older German couple that we met at the Grand Canyon of the South Pacific who invited us to stay at their home in Germany if we ever came to visit then proceeded to give us their address, phone number, email and then took us out that evening to talk of marriage, family, and religion. 

I remember the lifeguard on the North Shore who found out that I loved fruit, so he went inside to give me his lunch--a juicy Mango fresh from his tree! 

I remember the lady at Albertson’s who searched the whole store to find me some Basmati rice when she could have just said they didn’t have any. 

I remember all the young couples that woke up early on a Saturday morning to clean the church or the nighttime call from my 3 year-old niece in Arizona to tell me “Grandpa is so happy. His heart was cut up in pieces, but the doctors took it out to fix it and now he’s all better!” 

I remember Ma & Pa Nielson paying for our hotel in Salt Lake so that we could go to conference with them and see family. 

It was a HOT day in Salt Lake, but a beautiful conference

Cousin Reunion at Kneaders...Mmm

I remember my high-school teachers who went above and beyond to make their lessons interesting and entertaining even though their students were sometimes less than respectful; or the Hispanic immigrant farmers that sell me their delicious homegrown vegetables with a smile at the Farmer’s Market in Rexburg.

I remember that unexpected package from my sister-in-law, Becky, full of everything I’d need to stay warm in the snow for my first winter in Idaho. 

I remember the construction worker on the Light Rail who promptly gave me his seat, because I was a lady and he, obviously, a gentleman and my thoughtful husband that brought me home my favorite treat after a long day of studying.

There’s a lot of good stuff going around, sometimes it’s hard to see through all the smog, but if you’re lucky enough to have been in Arizona at nightfall you know that it’s sometimes through the smog we find the most breathtaking sunsets.

What Do You Remember That Gives You Hope?