Monday's Music

Learning from Hinckley

I'm still reading the biography of President Gordon B. Hinckley. It's a big book if you've never picked it up before. I've come to find that I hardly knew anything about Gordon B. Hinckley's life and his time serving the church. One thing that I've loved though is the details that have been given. President Monson's biography never quite delved into the hardships that the brethren go through when serving in high positions of the church but President Hinckley gives it straight and true. It's something that I've really appreciated as I've been stumbling around trying to figure out how to fulfill my calling in the way it needs to be. I know that I'll never have the amount or type of stress that this man went through every day but it's comforting to know the human side of him. The side that felt lonely and weighed down. President Hinckley gave a BYU devotional address in 1969 title The Loneliness of Leadership. He talked about the Savior and how he was a man who walked in loneliness. He talked about Joseph Smith. He talked about missionaries and converts, the loneliness that they each go through. He talked about the loneliness of testimony. It seems like such a downer talk but I think just the fact that one of the leaders of the Church addressed this and put it into perspective makes it easier to carry on and keep going.
"And when the declaration was made concerning the only true and living Church upon the face of the earth, we were immediately put in a position of loneliness, the loneliness of leadership from which we cannot shrink nor run away and which we must face up to with boldness and courage and ability."

President Hinckley is amazing. He is such an example to me and I've loved reading about his life. He is so human but yet so incredible in all of his many talents. I can't even begin to try and spill some sort of summary of his talents but this next quote from him helps give a small understanding. 

"None of us... knows enough. The learning process is an endless process. We must read, we must observe, we must assimilate, and we must ponder that to which we expose our minds. I believe... in the evolution of the mind, the heart, and the soul of man. I believe in improvement. I believe in growth." -President Hinckley

Obviously the learning process is going to be uncomfortable as well. It's going to pull us and push us till we feel we're being ripped apart. But all I want to say is I am so extremely happy with my life right now. I love where I am at. I'm almost done with my program. I have a fantastic ward where I'm surrounded with friends who I always have a good time with. The group is always extending out and making new friends and I love it. I love living at home where I'm surrounded by family. Life is good. I'm happy.

Snapshot Year

Goodbye 2012.
This last year I survived another 3 semesters in my radiology tech program. I got a straight up 4.0 GPA for each semester. (Once I got my system down, school was easy.) I stopped working at the mall. I turned 21. I officially became an aunt. I got my limited practical licence in radiography and got a job at the hospital. I worked my first 12 and 13 hour shift. I totaled a car and came away with just a bruise on my knee. I read the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. I went to the World Superbike Races. I went sailing on the Great Salt Lake. I went paddle boarding. I participated in a chalk art festival and got my picture in the newspaper. Heather and I celebrated our 11th bone marrow transplant birthday. A friend and I tried out a dating website for fun and I totally ended up dating someone. I, as always, learned a lot from the experience. I got a new calling as the Relief Society President in my singles ward and I have the best group of friends from that ward. I fell in love with the band Imagine Dragons. I'm still living at home and I'm perfectly okay with that.
Hello 2013.

Monday's Music

Monday's Music

Monday's Music

Monday's Music

BMT

Nov. 14, 2001

Dear Journal, 

     My older sister Heather's bone marrow is not making the blood cells. So she has to have a bone marrow transplant. My family went to the hospital on Monday. We each had to have a blood test. Who ever had the same bone marrow as Heather would give some away to Heather. We got my test result back and Amie's. Amie is not a match but the test says that I'm a perfect match! I'm going in today just to make sure that I have everything Heather needs. The first thoughts I had in my mind were "I'm so happy" and at the same time scared. But I know that everything will go well. 

Nov. 14, 2001

Dear Journal,

     Natalie and Nathan are not a match but they match each other. I am the only one who has the same as Heather. We went to the hospital today, me and my mom. We found out a lot about Heather. Heather is going to lose her hair but it will grow back. She might not be able to have children. I went and got more blood taken out of me today. It hurt more then on Monday. I will have to be checked out tomorrow at 12:00. I have to go back up to the hospital. But I'm glad I can still do Manilla Magic and be a soloist. But a bad thing is that Heather will have to live close by the hospital for a while. I feel really sad for Heather. 

Nov. 15, 2001

Dear Journal,

     Today I got checked out again to the hospital. All they did with me was a normal check up. Like eye sight, hearing, breathing and so on. Today I found out that I'm going have an I.V. on my hand when they do the bone marrow transplant. They put me to sleep and then put a needle in my hand with a tube around it. After they have it all in they take the needle out and leave the tube in. When I wake up I'll be in the recovering room. I won't feel like eating much because they also put my stomach to sleep. The hospital gave me a doll to do I.V. on it to understand more. It was fun. When I do the bone marrow transplant Heather and I will have a bone marrow birthday! So Heather and I will have two birthdays a year! I also get to watch my bone marrow go into Heather. 

Nov. 26, 2001

Dear Journal,

     Today I'm going in for surgery. I got to stay at a hotel with my mom and dad. We had to leave the hotel at 5:00 in the morning that day. When we got there we had to get checked in. Then they did a regular check up. I had to get in some hospital pajamas. While I was in the waiting room I had to take some medicine. It was gross! then I got on a wheelchair bed. Then they took me to the operating room. They made me breath into a mask which made me to go sleep. When I woke up I was in a recovery room with  my mom. They wouldn't let me go up and see Heather until I went to the bathroom. When I went up to Heather I got to ride in a wheelchair. I saw my bone marrow in one of those plastic bags. It looked more like a red-ish orange-ish color compared to blood. I thought it would look like yellow-ish green-ish color. When the nurses came in two of them were carrying stuff. I thought it was going to be for Heather and I and I was right! I got a quilt, a beanie baby bear, a balloon, and a poster that said, "Megan you're super, thank you!" Heather gave me a shirt and some long pink pants. They were so cute! Heather got most of the same stuff as me except her poster said, "Happy BMT Birthday Heather!" The BMT stands for bone marrow transplant. 

     Five million is a good number to give away in stem cells from bone marrow. I gave away nine and a half million! Almost double! Now Heather and I can't share a room. We have to get the room downstairs finished before Heather gets home. I miss her. 

I love you Heather. I'm grateful for your example to me. I'm grateful for the bond that we have not only from sisterhood, but also from this experience and opportunity that I had to serve you. I would do it all over again any day. 

*****

For more details check out these posts from Heather from years past...

2008

2009

2010

2011

Monday's Music

Portrait Found

Hey there, remember this story about my Paris boyfriend? Well, I was in a cleaning mood last night so I attacked a couple shelves in my closet and I found the beloved and "oh so close to likeness" portrait from my french artist. It's a keeper.