High School Memories

"There's the first lost balloon of the night." I whispered to Sister Coon as I watched the lone balloon drift up and away. We were sitting in the football stadium in support of two of our ward's laurels graduating high school tonight. It is so crazy to think that I have been graduated for a year now, and these girls were doing the same tonight. As I watched that balloon float away, I wondered if my high school life would be remembered by those I had shared it with. Did I do enough things to be remembered? Would I stand out in their minds as someone really cool or really funny or talented? Did I do anything spectacular to sear myself into the memories of hundreds? I sat there thinking these thoughts, and then realized I hoped none of this was true. I didn't want to be remembered for the great feats I had accomplished while with them. I wanted to be remembered for the way I made people feel. When people speak my name, I hope they will remember a girl who was always smiling and did her best to lift others up. My greatest desire is that I was able to embody the pure love of Christ and bring Him into their lives by my simple acts. And if I am only remembered by a few, that is OK too. If only one person's life was made better by something I did to help them, then I did my job as a disciple of Christ. I've come to learn in the past few years that life isn't about what others can give to you, but rather what you can give to others. So this is my challenge, dear reader. Go about your days serving others as Christ did. Look for simple ways to brighten another's day. Sometimes the smallest acts of kindness from you can make the biggest impact on someone else. There have been many times in my life when a simple smile and "Hello!" from a stranger have changed the entire outcome of my day.
Their principle left them with these words that I really love "If you want to be happy for an hour, go take a nap. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, go out and help someone around you."