So sitting here December 31, obviously something is typically written about what to look forward to in the upcoming year and reflections about the past year. Now, im really bad about predicting what comes next or things that could happen, so i'll go the easy route and look back at 2012 and where i've been and came out from. Kinda makes you appreciate the lessons you've learned and how the Lord helped you get through it.
So the year started out good enough, i was dating a nice girl, plus her and i had started talking about our future. I had a couple new roommates that were great, so i was thinking that staying in Rexburg while not in school and just working was going to be pretty awesome. I mean, the weather sucked a bit, but it didn't bother me a whole lot. Things were going great up until about the 20th or something: thats when this girl was having second thoughts about wanting to be with me. I was about as shocked as me finding that Hostess donettes were all gone: completely! The following Sunday she broke up with me. Not the start i wanted at all! 2012 looked like it was going to be pretty looooooong...
Yeah i was a mess for a while. Probably some of my roommates were thinking what the heck they got themselves into by rooming with me. Besides my birthday that month, February sucked a little bit. So did about half of March. But there was one little spark in February, though, that has had a massive influence on my life...
It was on or near Valentine's Day when i decided to send a quick Facebook comment to a girl i barely knew named Natalie Elias. I hadn't really talked to her before, but I asked, "Got any plans for Valentine's Day?". She said no and it led to a little conversation but not much after. Soon afterwards though, we started to talk a little bit more and play Words with Friends. I liked it because it kept my mind off of the break-up and Natalie seemed really nice. I later asked if she was coming back to live at Sunrise Village Apartments again (she was there in the Fall previous, and thats where we had briefly been introduced. That night was also the night i took interest in the girl that ended up breaking up with me). We got off on a nice conversation about Georgia (she's from there, i served a mission there), i later then gave her my number so we could talk more. When it came time for the Spring semester to start, i offered to help her with her luggage to her apartment. She appreciated it and we became fast friends. I thought she was cute, but she wanted to serve a mission, so i backed off a wee bit. So i was just sitting in my apartment on a Sunday evening (April 22) when a couple
of friends from the ward came by and asked if i wanted to go to Stadium
Singing. I said sure and went with them.
Meanwhile, Natalie was at her apartment, not wanting to go. While i was
at Stadium Singing, Natalie's friends saw me and texted Natalie to
come; and she got there fast! I saw her a couple times, but didnt go up
to her after it was done. While home, i texted to her, "Hey! i
was gonna say hi, but you were surrounded by a bunch of guys, haha". She
texted back, "Well then you better make your move ;)" After a confused
look, i texted her to explain herself, which resulted in me going to her
apartment to ask what she meant. After bumbling a little bit (it was
cute) she admitted that she liked me. I was floored!...in a good way! I kinda mumbled out that i had liked her too. It took me a couple of days to suck it up to hold her hand, but i did. She was the first to kiss me, so that was nice! After her and i started dating, however, i wanted to make sure that this was going to be something serious and last. She was torn between dating me and serving a mission, so it was a bit uncertain for a couple of weeks. She got her answer first and it was to stay with me. But i hadn't got mine yet! What the crap! Why?! Ugh...a couple days later, i didn't get this blinding light of "YO PETER, DATE HER! SHE'S GOING TO BE GREAT!", but it was more of a "Hey...it doesn't feel wrong, so go for it!". I did, and havent looked back since. :)
For the rest of Spring semester, thats how it was. She decided to also stay for the 7 week break of summer which helped too! During then, we got to go on a lot of nice walks around Rexburg and talk and be by ourselves. We also brought up that we want to marry each other. SCORE! Fall came and things just got that much better as we solidified our feelings for one another. The sucky part would be that she'll be gone to Georgia for the winter (mid-December to mid-April) but thats ok...im a pretty stubborn guy (this instance its a good thing), which eventually leads me to me sitting right now typing this thing.
As you read this, im sure you noticed that most of it was about Natalie. Well yeah, when you're dating someone for 8 out of the 12 months, it takes a bit of room. Sorry for the bag of popcorn you popped expecting to read something epic. Whoooops...
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So what this year taught me?
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That when there are times that are hard, challenging, and just plain suck; it can be reeeeeeeeally hard to have faith and hope for the future. But sucking it up, sticking to praying when its hard to see the answers come right away, and seeing the eternal perspective of things, then amazing blessings can walk into your life when you least expect it and have a great impact on your life now and in the future. What does 2013 bring? Hopefully a beautiful girl wearing a shiny ring, a long white dress, and a temple :).
