Single Awareness Day

With Valentines Day so near … It make me wonder why we even have a day to celebrate couples. Was it so the single persons would be socially pressured to take steps to be a part of a couple? To have a relationship with someone committed enough to “be our Valentine”
I can tell you that I am grateful that this year … ‘Single Awareness Day’ falls on a Sunday. And my Sundays are normally spent at Church, and then Family dinner followed by Family game time. So I’m saved the awkwardness of not having a Valentine. Although I am sure my mother will say something about my single status… But who am I kidding, that is also a normal Sunday event. LOL
I have a lot to be grateful for while in my Single Status
1. I don’t have kids to worry about
2. I have no real debt of my own (except my car loan) and I don’t have to worry about debt that came via Marriage.
3. I can go and do almost anything without having to worry about being put in the “dog house”
99% of the time I am a positive person about my life. Positive about all that I have done and accomplished though hard work and the Lord help. I lose myself in service, Work and of course play. BUT sometimes at night when everything starts to settle down and there is nothing to lose myself in… I lose focus of the big picture… I start to focus on the missing elements in my life. .. ‘The long waited, yet ever missing in action… Husband.’ I sit reading or writing, in my Queen Size bed and look over at the empty space next to me… And I can’t help but wonder if I will ever find the man who will occupy that space in my life.
Now, I don’t watch a lot of TV. I hate being tied down to a date and time to watch my favorite shows. Thankfully this is the 21st Century and thanks to websites like Cast TV, Hulu, Mega Video, and You tube I can watch all my favorite shows at 2am (which is when my schedule permits). But in some of my most Favorite shows (Ghost Whisperer and Medium) some of my favorite scenes night time at the end of the day for the Characters. This is when the husband and wife share about their day with the other. They help each other with trails they are going though and appreciate each other. And maybe that is a fantasy but I hope not. I hope this is the way it is for me.
So… while the history of Valentine's Day is sometimes debated, and it is clearly linked back to a St. Valentine a Catholic saint. Even though there are three different St Valentine’s (one a priest, one a bishop, and little is known about the third.) All were martyrs. So I guess It is clear that I dodged the Bullet this year…LOL maybe next year!

What a NERD am I

Ok So Yesterday I did something so Creepy that I even cheeped myself out. LOL

So I was on face book and on the side of my profile it shown a list of my FB friend’s birthdays that are coming up. I see on there that the guy I asked out (for the Girl asks Guy Church Rodeo) is having a birthday. I think he is the nicest guy and just soo cute… So I decide (without thinking too much about it) that I am going to do something for his birthday. So I don’t want it to be too serious so I Google “Gift Sayings” on the internet. And I get a bunch of fun ideas of saying to put together with fun goodies. And we all know guys love goodies… Right?!?

So I’m excited and go and get the stuff and then it hits me… I have to give it to him… Now I’m scared I don’t pull off the Cool chick when I’m nervous. I tend to ramble  And at this point I’m really nervous.

I invited a NEW Good friend home and talked to her about it and she decided to help me arrange the items in a bucket (cuz I have not gotten my Martha Stewart badge) I told her Iwas trying to get her to take it to him for me. I was not going to sign the card and let it just be anonymous. I would know I did something nice with out all the scary-ness of possibly him getting all weird about it.

Long story short she tried to convince me that I should not only sign my name to the card but take it to him myself.

What a Friend! Here I am tring to do something nice without taking credit and what does she try and do! LOL (If you read this I love you!)

She would not let me leave until I promised to take the gift to him by myself. And I tried to get out of there by saying “Ok, I will make sure he gets it” LOL She knew that meant... I was just going to get another friend to take it to him. I did finally leave there by saying I would take it by myself and that I would report to her after the deed was done. She told me that Guys were just like Gals mostly. They love getting things like this done for them. It makes them feel just as good as it does us Gals. I mean if a guy did this for me… It would totally make my day even if I was not that into him.

Of course what does she know.. She is married, Older and Wiser!

I am more of the mind frame that ... when a guy get something from a gal and they are not into said gal they may feel good inside for a moment... BUT THEN ... they tend to retreat into a Blackhole. This due to fear of the gal thinking they like them. Instead of just continuing to be their friend and just clearing it up that they only want friendship with said gal.

So I get there and I chicken out BUT I have this cute gift and I promised my friend that I would take it by myself. So what did I do…? I did what any other Chicken would have done in my place. I left it at his Side door (So I did not have to even go to the front door) and sent a funny Text message saying.

“Operation Birthday is a Go!
To complete this mission you will have to find the Blue Bucket.
Last seen wearing smile wrapping paper.
Last known location was your side gate
Good Luck”

Then I got into my car... praying that I would not been seen. After all this all I wanted to know was if I had just made a big mistake. I got a text back from him. (what seemed to be a million years later) saying...

“Wow! Thanks so much! That’s quite a birthday present.”

I of course am still nervous and even in text messages can not stop myself from making a fool of myself. So I send..

“I thought it might make you smile! I was just too scared to give it to you face to face. I’m kind of a chicken lol…Well I’m really glad you liked it. Hope it made you smile”

Ok what a spaz I am! Let start with the fact that
1. I just told him I could not do it face a face. I mean I could have just let him think it was a cute way to give it to him. Not Cool on my part!
2. I called myself a chicken. I am telling I'm so smooth.
3. And then rambling about making him smile. I'm the biggest Doof right?!?

But whatever! It was fun and I made someone night... Well I hope LOL
And my friend is right... “If he does not like it or get weird about it then there is something wrong with him”

So have I told you how much I love my Journey! I make myself crackup sometimes 

30 and Not Married as a Latter-day Saint

Ok I’m an Older Sister (30) not married. As a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints you feel like something is wrong with you if you’re not married by 24 or 25. But is there something really wrong with me?

Well this ‘Old Maid” I found a Blog by Don Osmond on the Mormon Times Website. It was so entertaining and SOO true. But he can only gives the guys side.

I was talking to a childhood friend, Katie (28 years old) and she told me... She and her Bother Robbie (30years old) gave some young 18 and 19 year old gals a ride to a church event. the gals thought Robbie was very cute and asked how old he was. He said 30 and the young gals did not think he was too old for them. But a little while later in the car they ask how old Kaite was. She told them and the young gals just thought that 28 years old for a girl was just soo old. So why the double standard?

I have seen, in my singles ward, some of the most beautiful LDS ladies who are 28, 29 and 30 years old. I have seen some of these same beautiful women doubt their self-worth due to not being married. The guys that are around the same age are usually trying to date the younger ladies in the ward. And “We” more experienced Ladies have to be carful not to be the old stocker lady who is trying to snag a younger man. I had one Bishop tell me at the ripe old age of 27 “You’re not getting any younger Erica you might want to take what you can get” And maybe I should have listened to him but I did not think I was being TOO picky... It's my eternal future were talking about here... right?!

All I want is really good friend that I could have fun with and laugh with. Someone when I don’t look my best will still walk by my side holding hands. I want someone who will spiritually lead my family. Someone when we are fighting I can say (Quote from Fools Rush In) “You’re not my favorite person right now” and still laugh at each others ridiculous sides. (Cuz let face it everyone has been ridiculous at one point or another) I dont want someone perfect... Heaven knows I'm not!

I love to be Busy with Work, Church, Family and Friends… I’m not the type to sit around and listen to others that always complain on how they have been done wrong. It’s way too negative for me. I had a friend say the other day that He (age 32) was thinking about leaving the church. When I asked him why, I was floored by his response. It was not that he had lost his faith in the gospel. But that he had lost his place with women in that church. When he was 27 or 28 he was all over the place at the singles ward and activities. When he turned 31 he got the Happy Birthday present of being transferred to a family ward. And he felt that the members did not cater to his needs. I asked him what he thought they should be doing for him. He said they should be setting him up with people they knew. They should be helping him get married. And being the type of person that I am…I said “Do you think it might be your attitude?” “Why should members set you up with people they know and love. When you have a chip on your shoulder?”... “How happy can you make the other person if you are so negative?” I am a true believer that sometimes we need help and sometimes we need to help ourselves.

Everyone goes though Heartache and everyone has hard times with trials... But why can’t we all just take what you can from the situation and move on. And I’m not saying this about other people… I continue to work on this. Why cant we just say “Thank you for that lesson Lord, Now if you don’t mind I’m going to take what I learned and try again” … We are taught so young with the story of the little train that could… Try Try Again… Right!?!. So why do we, as singles, do we think that something is wrong with us if we are single… As long as we are doing what we are supposed to and not running from being married… maybe we are where we should be... still learning and preparing for our/ your spiritual future with a Eternal Companion.

Enjoy your journey my friends…This time in our lives is so short(in the eternal scheme of things). I remember reading a priesthood talk that said... being married would be the biggest trial of your Mortal life and that is why you get the most rewards from it. So prepare now for the biggest trial and biggest blessing. Don’t run from it, don’t rush it, and keep your faith.

We have to trust that God puts his Faithful children where they need to be.