Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Come on ladies! Provide some pearls!!
While I am completely thrilled with Stephanie's and Ashley's insight and wisdom, I am looking for more! I want to hear from Kacey, Danielle, Cali (maybe from Peru), Ashley (I know you're busy babysitting but you can do it), Kaelynn, Angelique, Sam Miller, Sam Ross, Micah, Alysha, Nena, Kim, Angie, Lindsay, Daishan, Britney, AubRee and anyone else who comes across this. Consider yourselves tagged! I am inventing my own game here. The fate of the Moses Lake Stake's young women is depending on your collective wisdom!
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7 comments:
me not writing before had nothing to do with the fact that i didn't have anything to say...cause you know I have plenty to say on most subjects I was just trying to figure out if i have actually learned anything in my years since being a teenager..hahhaha.
But here goes nothing...
I think the thing that has most fascinated me about the youth of today is their eagerness to grow up. why? I love the fact that I lived in the moment. That i treasured my time in high school and then treasured my years at college. I was not in a rush to grow up and act older than I was. I have seen many kids (girls especially) come into singles ward wanting to be older, acting older, and I just think...how sad. What is wrong with being young? It only happens once and soon more responsibility with be forced on you, so why not live young and free while you can.
I am so grateful for all of the things I was able to accomplish while being young, free, and single. All the trips, education, and many memories I made with friends and family. I wouldn't trade that time for anything. especially now, with my mom gone, I look back on my childhood, my time at home, my time with family having fun and I am so thankful that I lived in the moment, that I opened myself up to adventure and fun and that I got to make so many memories with my mom that way.
To everything their is a season, and I think people need not be in a hurry to go through the seasons.
This is Tiffany (Byington) Fackrell. I am not on your list of people you wanted to hear from, but I guess I fall under the "anybody else who comes across this." I have no regrets about growing up, but I will say that for me now I wish that I would have done more stuff with my siblings. And not just the family stuff we did together, but I mean like inviting them to the parties I attended and invited them to do more things with me and my friends. I always see siblings being best friends in high school and I was always sort of jelous of them and their relationships with their brothers and sisters. I guess I just have this utopia in my head that once we all get married we will all just be best friends...But you know you can start that friendship way before everyone is married...is this even making sense? My mom always told my sister and I that your friends may come and go but your sister will always be your sister and you need to treat her accordingly because she will always be there no matter what.
I think I would also say don't get to caught up in the "trendy" stuff. you don't have to have the best and most expensive clothes, you don't need the "high school boyfriend" You don't need to worry about what everyone else is doing and the "gossip" that goes with it all. Just have fun and include everyone in your circle of friends.
that's all I got
I wish I had paid more attention to the kind of person my siblings saw me being, especially as a teenager. I did pretty well I think, but I really wish I would have realized the effect my example would have on them. It is so hard to get out of the "me" mindset when youre a teenager enough to see not only your big picture but your siblings as well and what you want for them in the future.
And the best advice anyone can give high school kids that, sadly, they won't listen to is don't have a boyfriend. Date, have fun, hang out, but avoid a high school boyfriend like the plague. I did this without even trying (being tall and awkward works wonders :) but everyone else I know who had serious boyfriends through high school missed out on so many things.
I know, how could all this wisdom come from one person? :)
Wow, I feel kind of like I'm in trouble! Well, maybe not, but I was slacking and have no excuse. I'm not much of writer or able to express my thoughts like I want to.
As I was reading Angie's, I felt totally the same way about not being in such a hurry to grow up. It's probably true that most kids go through it, but there's so much you get to experience at that age that will never happen again in your life. I'm so grateful I had such a positive high school experience where I was involved in my family life, my extended family, my church activities, school activities, and friends. There's never another time where you can have all that and still feel so free and have fun.
I feel like I was pretty involved with my family unit growing up. I think teenagers need to recognize they do have responsibility to support and participate in family life...not just the fun stuff either. It's such a great time to learn skills and responsibilities that you can use later on in life (but not have the full responsibility falling on your shoulders).
Am I making any sense here?
I was very involved in church and church activities and am so grateful that I took advantage of all that is offered for kids that age. At an age where there are so many other options out there for things to do and people to associate with, I KNOW it is so important to choose your friends wisely and put yourself in situations that are good. Those can be life-changing decisions. It is such a wonderful to learn and help your testimony grow and have that strong foundation to build on.
Now, I'm sitting here thinking back on that time and feel so happy. I'm so glad that I have great memories with my family, MY MOM, my cousins, my friends and that I don't look back on it and cringe. Don't get me wrong. I had my moments!!! I could pull some major attitude!
One more thing, I know how important it is to have a good relationship with your parents...or parent...during that time. They are there to support you, teach you, love you, and be a part of your life. Take advantage of that and listen to them. Be respectful of them because they deserve it and are your number one fan no matter what else is going on in your life.
To be honest I wish I would have been more appreciative of my mom. She did everything for me and I took it for granted and was kind of a brat. She had so many talents and skills that I could have learned from (cooking, sewing, quilting....) but I didn't take advantage of all of that. I was quick to get irritated with her and rarely wanted to listen to what she had to say. I thought she was always nagging me...as soon as I left home I realized how bratty and ungrateful I had been. I could have learned so much from my mom, but I thought that at the time it wasn't important enough and that I would learn those things later on....now I am trying to figure all those things out without her here. Our parents spend their whole lives trying to teach us right from wrong, how to be good people, and trying to provide the best life for us...when we are teenagers we don't see how much our parents sacrifice for us to be able to have all the things we enjoy.
I am glad that I took the time to enjoy doing things with my family though...it doesn't always need to be about being social and being with your friends cause when it comes down to it your family is your best friend and the ones that will always be there.
Unfortunately I have to make this quick. I am watching my sister-in-laws two girls one is 5 months and the other is a little over a year and a half.
I think one thing that really affected my relationships with my sibilings is that I decided to treat them how I would want to be treated if I was the younger sibiling. That means if they want to borrow clothes, let them. If they want to go hang out with you and your friends, let them. I found that my relationships with my sibiblings were really strong because of this attitude...now I am really grateful.
Take every opportunity to talk to your parents. Confide in them. Ask them for advise. No one has your interest in mind more than they do. I loved when my dad would stay up late talking with Ryan about girls (I usually didn't have anything interesting where boys were concerned to ask about.)
Don't be too busy! Set your priorities. I think about family things that I missed because I didn't want to miss a drill team performance and now I regret it. I was so over the top busy that I also didn't learn the things that my mom had to teach...and I didn't see the importance then. I would be gone so early and arrive home so late. And as Angie and Kim said basically enjoy the stage of life that your in...take time to smell the roses.
I could keep going and going but I have to run. Good luck! I love it when you have speaking assignments you are so fun to listen to. You are really talented in that department.
I am not on the list of people, but I am pretty newly married and I feel that I was a youth not too long ago. And Moses Lake youth are the greatest! So, one of the things I would have changed about how I treated my family is this: I would have listened to the things they were telling me. I would have been more open to what they wanted me to know.
My parents are amazing people and have my best interest at heart and I know that now. As I'm sure most parents do, really!
I also wish I would have hung out with my brothers. Being the only girl sucked, but now I feel grateful to have an older brother who watched out for me and a younger brother who (I hope!) I could have been an example for.
One more thing from all of this wisdom that I have-be everything that you can be. Make each day count. Really, truly know that you are a child of God. Know that the Atonement is real. Through knowing that, family life will come so much easier. Friendships will be made within the family that will be so much stronger. Family really does become your best friend. (Aside from an incredible husband!)
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