The Faith of Teens

 For this week's spirit-filled moments, I share with you a quote from a young woman who is in my church congregation:

                                    "Jesus put his arms wide on the cross as if to say, "I love you this much," like little kids say."

Photo found here.

This is how the love of Jesus Christ is supposed to be: simple.  In my church, we don't really like to dwell on the crucifixion of Jesus, but I like to envision Him up there, with his arms outstretched inviting me in for a big hug.  I know that He loves me because I feel it. I feel it most in quiet places and even stronger when I am seeking it.  

I love that I can be taught by 17-year-olds just as much as adults with lots of experience.  Of course, we have to be in a space to listen, but the magic can happen when we do!

June Setup and My Favorite Soccer Player

Welcome to June.  Come Back Daily for My Post-a-Day Extravaganza. 

Hi there.  Welcome to summer.  As a teacher, I have a couple of months to rejuvenate and regather myself.  Sometimes I feel like I get lost in those ten intense months.  Summer I find myself again.  Obviously, I like to write.  I need a space to get myself off my Ikea POÄNG chair and into my notebook, this is that space.  I renewed my GoDaddy account and signed up to have this site for another three years.  Sure, I could have my old Blogger domain, but I like having my own .com, it motivates me to post more often.

This month will have the following daily themes:

Mondays: "Oh my."  Here I will talk about everything that makes me say "Oh my."  Mainly, it will be about things I own, like "oh my bike", but it may also be about things that I wonder and think about, you know things that make me go, "Oh my!"

Tuesdays: Travel.  Here you may read about my favorite camping places, or crazy trips I have adventured on. 

Wednesdays:  Poetry Writing.  It could be a classic I have written in the past or a brand new poem I wrote that day.  Please bring all the feedback.

Thursdays: Lists of Things. So many lists, and so little time.

Friday: Fantastic Favorites.  All about my favorite things.

Saturdays: Sports.  Here you may get rule explanations, ramblings of my favorite sports teams or players, or stories about sports venues.

Sundays: Spirit Of or Spiritual Sunday.  Here you may get snidbits from my faith or you may even get the spirit of, like the spirit of freedom.

Without further adeiu, here is the first post of June's Post-a-Day Extravaganza. 

My Favorite Soccer Player

Some people like Lionel Messi, Argentina's pride, with a foot that has got him to 25 goals faster than any Major League Soccer player in MLS history.  Others think Brasil's Pele is still the best of all time, but my favorite soccer player of all time is eight years old.  (In fact, today is her birthday) 

This past season, she did not score one single goal, which to her was devastating, but she did get two new jerseys and was able to wear the brightest pink cleats, which were pretty good highlights.

What makes her my favorite player?  

First, she became a soccer player.  She was excited about practice, wanted to dress the part with her new gear, and was so proud to have a new soccer ball, which she kicked into the couch about a thousand times each week(even if her parents encouraged her not to).  

Second, she wanted to get better.  She asked repeatedly to kick the ball in the grass across the street. She listened to her coach at practice and took her seriously.  She also listened to her mom and tried to figure out the right positioning to be able to shoot a goal.

Third, she is my one and only daughter.  Anything she does makes me proud! (Well, maybe not everything, like whacking her brother or giving me sass, but when it comes to her successes, they are also mine!)

She has had quite a year, from getting on grade level in reading to two amazing dance recitals to making me laugh daily, she truly is a gem.

She made the choice to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints yesterday, which brought so many warm fuzzies.

She also had an epic Taylor Swift-themed splash pad birthday party.  

Not only is she my favorite soccer player but she is also my favorite daughter.  She has my heart and I am so excited to continue getting to know her and to see the amazing woman she will grow up to be, seeing she is already pretty dang amazing. I am blessed to be her mom and to also have my favorite soccer player living at my house!

Day Three of 30 Days of Writing: Squall-Apocalypse

This piece was to be creative about the weather, I chose to write a script for a news report.

Squall-apocalypse

Dee Dee: “Reporting Live from Center Street in Provo, Alice Ficklin”

Alice Ficklin: “Thanks Dee Dee.  The winter squall storm has hit Central Utah.  Wind gusts were near 60 miles an hour earlier this morning as snow swelled due to lake effect.  Valley floors were covered with two inches while the benches had six to eight inches.  Money may  not buy you happiness,  but snow can bring happiness and isolation.

A two hour delayed start was ordered by The Provo City  School District, which actually gave some parents the opportunity to both drop their kids off on time AND feed them whereas on normal days they have to pick one or the other.  

This reporter feels the district made a good call today, yet the son of this reporter still thinks it should have been a full snow day.  Back to you Tom and Dee Dee.”

Truths from 2023

 This is Day Four of 30 Days of Writing that I participated in during January of this year.  The prompt was entitled: Truths of 2023.  Basically it was about what we learned during the past year: 

Mom and I Summer 2019

Grief comes in waves.  Out,  like the ocean and you go about life like normal.  In, like the family photo at your Cousin’s wedding and you realize it is the first photo without mom in it.  The first trip back home without her there. A blank spot, a lack of warmth, a missing face, an empty chair; silence.And then out again, enjoying time spent with family, us still the same.  Being there for my own kids and working at a job where other Mom’s kids need me…I still need my mom too! And in again, working on my photo journal and finding the last picture I took of her, hugging my kids, thinking it’s just “see you later” again, because she HATED goodbye.  Not knowing it was really goodbye and really the last hugs.  Just like the ocean, grief has its calming and relaxing moments mixed with the raging waters and the high winds of a hurricane.  Balance…will I always be searching for it?  Luckily, storms are temporary and so are the waves of grief.

Writing Again

 Hi.  During January, I was a part of a writing group called " 30 Days of Writing Community for Utah Educators."  Each day I received an email that contained a writing prompt for the day.  

I have deemed this year "The Year of Writing,"(which I alternate with "The Year of Reading") so when I heard about this program I signed up quickly.  I have struggled with motivation to do anything the past year and a few months.  Grief with do that for you, I guess.  So, I find it fitting that I share this post with you all first.  The prompt  was about creativity and where you find the inspiration to be creative.  This is what I wrote:

"Creativity

Buried beneath my cold grief

Or it’s cremated?

I have kinda felt unmotivated to create of late.

Maybe it is grief.  Maybe just laziness.

This week it is sickness.  

But I like the haiku I just wrote above.  I like the whole play of words like bury and cremate.  Both death words and related to my mom’s passing.  I really just have coasted at times through things.  I find myself staring at walls or distracted in other ways.  Words seem to escape me.  Silence ensues.  An existence that is narrowed and pale.  My mojo also buried with her in that little  tiny box within a tiny dug hole.  What did I bury with her?  What died with her?  A little bit of my hope.  A little bit of my drive.   A little bit of my motivation.  A little bit of my voice.  Sometimes I feel like I am just going through motions.  Existing.  The pandemic started this process and her passing pulled the rest of the plug.  Ugh."

Writing regularly surely gives more opportunity for writing gems to be created! Glad I wrote that day and made a nice haiku!

As always feel free to interact with me through comments. What did you think about this writing? Any advice for how to improve it? What is your favorite part? Here is your chance to be a literary critic! :)