It isn't just stuff

Does a toaster have feelings? Well, it's not sentient. It can't make decisions or move. It can't talk. 

Have you ever dropped or bumped, say a toaster, or a lamp, or something, and said sorry to it? Like me, you probably have. You probably chalk it up to the fact that it's your thoughtless reaction because you were taught manners (I hope), and you would do the same thing when you accidentally bump into a person. 

Yet... have you ever felt very connected to a thing? Like a stuffed animal, or an heirloom, or a sweater, pillow, car, tool, maybe even a pair of shoes. 

When I was about 19 I was working in Southern Utah and went on a trip with a friend to the Grand Canyon. We parked my car away from the rim and hiked in to camp for the night. The view was rapturous, and I'll never forget how surreal it was spending the day there. The next morning we hiked back out and once my car was in view I ran to it, embracing what I could of the trunk, and said "I missed you Baby." 

When I relayed this story to my Mom I explained that I knew it was just a big metal thing, but that I really loved it, and felt like my car loved me too. "Is that weird?" I said? She took a minute then said, "Well, all matter has intelligence."

In Doctrine and Covenants (a section added to our scriptures that is a compilation of revelations given during the restoration of Christ's Gospel in the 1800's) in section 131:7-8, we read about how all things were organized in their spirit matter first, then the physical matter was added (what we see with our physical eyes). 

In many religions, such as Hinduism and others, prayers are offered to things such as a banana tree, or a locket with a picture of a saint or guru. 

Another scripture Latter-day Saints (Mormon's) believe says that "all things testify of Christ." (Moses 6:63) 

There's no time I feel more in God's presence than when I am out in nature, in the very essence of raw growth. Truly I can feel the leaves and trees telling me that God is real.

I strongly believe in all things having spirit. I don't completely understand it, but I know that I can feel it. So, when I am attached to a "thing" does it make me materialistic? No. Materialism is not loving a thing, it's loving to have things. There's a difference. When someone pours love into an object, I believe that it feels it and retains it on a spiritual level, with spiritual matter.

I have a small pillow that a youth leader gave to me when I was a teenager. It's a cute Christmas pillow that has a nativity embroidered on it. Well, in the throws of youth many tears were shed into that little pillow, and I felt that it loved me for sharing my sorrows with it, and that it was honored by it. Could it be all in my imagination? Sure. I won't deny the possibility, but I felt that it was true. If there's one thing that is hard to deny, or tell another person it's not true, it's feelings. 

Did you read that book that was trending last year, The Magic of Tidying Up? I did, and loved it. I did vary from some of her instructions, as I think it needs customizing to each person/family. One thing I found interesting is how she mentions that you need to see what things you love, and keep those around you. That each "thing" has an energy and your body will react to that energy and tell you if it should stay or go. 

Could that energy be it's spirit matter, or intelligence? Just like how we react differently to different kinds of people, we get along better with some than others, perhaps it's the same with the items around us? I have had some people in my life that were hard to get along with, roommates even, and we found common ground and ended up good friends. I've also had things be the same way. Clothing that annoyed me, until I found a way to wear it that made me happy. Or, a lamp that just didn't feel right, until I found a good place for it in the house where it felt better. I don't know, maybe. 

Also, I believe that these things retain a lot of our memories, not just that they remind us of our memories, but that they themselves retain them like sponges. Sometimes it makes it hard to get rid of things when I think of it like that, but then, like in the book (The Magic of Tidying Up), I think of it as going to bless another person or family.

So, am I materialistic? I'm sure I am to a degree, but not because of the love I put into things, only because I love to shop. 

~Crystal

Sunny Day Chats

The weather has been  BE-A-U-TIFUL! Hooray for spring!!!
I'm pretty sure I willed it here, because winter and I were just not working out (as usual).

Yesterday I took the kids down the street to see if my friend Alexis and her kids were available to hang out. Lucky for me Alexis is the kind of person who is happy to stop what she's doing and visit with whoever drops by, even for hours. Remember when it used to be like that all over? We we sat on the front porch watching the kids play and had wonderful, wonderful chats in the sunshine.

It is so lovely to have a friend that you can talk to about every topic under the sun. I've had several friends like that, and I cherish every one of them, and the conversations we've had. I love learning from each other, and our different points of view.
We happened to talk about everything from chakras, to movies, to stones, writing, and teaching, stress, and more I can't remember at the moment. I love her insights, and she is definitely helping to guide me.

I love that God puts the right people in my life right when I need them. For instance, when Ben and I got married and switched to that stage where you're not going to single's activities anymore, and our friends no longer called, and when we did see them it was sometimes awkward. We were just on different train tracks and so it was different. I prayed that God would send me a friend, a really good girl-friend. Someone I could really talk to.

Well, I auditioned for The King and I at the Hale Center Theater in Gilbert, AZ, and happened to get cast as one of the king's wives. Well, Laura and Bethany also were cast as wives and we all became very close. Bethany and her family ended up moving to Colorado not long after, but Laura and I have stayed the best of friends for years. I miss her so much since we're all the way in up in Utah now. She is also one of those friends who I can talk to about anything, and do.

So, here's a toast to those great friends, who listen and chat, and who drop what they're doing and indulge in those fabulous deep conversations.

~Crystal

"Look who's back again."

^ A quote from one of my favorite movies, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Ha, I love it.

I've been inspired to come back to my blog because of my fantastic sister-in-law. She's made it a goal to write on her blog every day. Yep, every day. Sometimes it's something short and sweet, sometimes it's more, and I love it. All of it. She's very insightful, and hilarious too. Plus you can't find happily ever after like their's just anywhere. It will make your heart melt.
Check her out at rbdaily.weebly.com

I do love to write, so even if no one reads this I'm fine with that because writing is so therapeutic. My problem,  however, is that I have soooooo much going on in my mind that I tend to go on and on, and on, and on. Then it gets daunting to get ready to sit and write something because I know it'll take a while to get it all down. Well, here's to trying anyway. Hopefully I can keep them a bit shorter and write anyway if I become overwhelmed.

Lately I have been LOVING the Twilight Playlist on Spotify. I recently re-read all the books and watched all the movies (something I do every few years for nostalgia). Yes, yes, I know. So many of my friends, especially book lovers, love to knock that series, but I still love to go back to it every once in a while. So, I was trying to find a song from the second movie, and ironically I found a bunch a new favorite songs, and the one I was looking for wasn't even in there.

Top three new favorites are:

Turning Page, by Sleeping at Last

Requiem on Water, by Imperial Mammoth

- The last one is Flightless Bird, by American Mouth, but I couldn't find a good version on youtube. They all started a little lower than the actual song and it just changed the mood, so go find it on Spotify, then close your eyes and enjoy.

*And a bonus song:*

Shooting the Moon, by OK GO 

Hopefully you already know how talented OK GO is, in so many ways.

This song was so fun, especially in the movie.

It's all been very fitting to my mood as of late. For some reason I've been extra reflective. Mostly about who I am and who I'm supposed to be. How to fit the me I've been into the mold of a mother. I still don't feel like a Mom. Isn't that weird? Sometimes it's like I'm babysitting. I don't feel old enough to be a Mom, but then again, I feel so old sometimes. Especially when I talk to people younger than me. I can hardly talk with teens without cringing, unless they're especially mature. Even when I went back to school two years ago, it was so funny to me to listen and watch these kids that weren't that much younger than me. I was like "Man, I am so an adult now." 

Well, I'll leave it there for today. Until next time.

~Crystal