Masks

Shel Silverstein is one of my all time favorite poets!  My two favorites are The Giving Tree, and Masks.  I decided to write down MY(meaning what I THINK.  You might not agree. (: That's fine! ) interpretation on Masks.  (I love finding meaning in EVERYTHING. Especially music and poems.  I think people under appreciate poetry so much.  I think it's absolutely beautiful.)  ANYWAYS... here is the poem!  

MASKS

She had blue skin,
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by-
And never knew.

 I've read this SO many times and I love it more every time!  It's crazy to me how often this must happen in everyday life!  Think of all the people we miss out on meeting, or the experiences we might miss, if we keep our true selves hidden from the rest of the world.  I wonder how many times this has happened to me; how often I miss out on something that could have changed my life! 

The blue skin in the poem could represent someone's hobby, or something they really have a passion for, that might not be the "social norm".  It could honestly be anything you want it to be!  The line, They searched for blue their whole life through, is kind of ironic to me.  How could they expect to find "blue" when they are hiding it themselves.  If you really enjoy rock collecting, you're probably not going to know if someone enjoys it, too, unless you ask them about it.  You never know how alike you are to a person, unless you let your true self shine!  Don't hide your talents or your passions.  Even if what you are passionate about is kind of somewhat embarrassing! Don't worry about it!  Everyone is amazing.  We're all different, but that's what makes the world go round.  Living would be pretty boring if every single person liked the exact same things, and dressed the exact same way, said the exact same words, did the exact same things... I'm getting bored just TYPING it!  Just remember to always be yourself.  You never know what blessings and experiences it will bring.
Love yourself.  

Much love,
  Brookelle  <3

FAVORITE SONGS AT THE MOMENT

• When I'm With You- JJ Heller
• Ho Hey- The Lumineers (My 3 year old sister sings it to me all the time.)
• Ballad of Love and Hate- The Avett Brothers (I'm going to be doing an interpretation on this song in a later post! STAY TUNED!)
• Eyes Wide Open- Gotye
• Fire- Augustana
• Each Coming Night- Iron And Wine

Life's Little Things

Life if full of little things that make us smile.  With help from some friends, I came up with a pretty long list of little things that make people smile!  Hopefully they'll make you smile, too.  

• Fried chicken on the 4th of July
• Fireworks

• Finding a good book- I'm definitely a book worm, and getting into a book is one of the best feelings in the world. 
• Birthday wishes- not just the Facebook "Happy Birthday!", I mean when someone goes out of their way, to send you a text, or call you and sing happy birthday!  
• Swings
• Cute little kids..basically anything they do, but especially their laughter.  It's so contagious!  
• Snow on Christmas Eve
• Reaching into your pants pocket and finding money!  
• Weddings- How could you not smile at 2 people being madly in love??
• Looking through old photo albums
• Rain- dancing in it, puddle jumping, walks..basically anything in the rain is amazing.
• Singing
• Midnight premieres- Being one of the first to see a movie, I've been dying to see definitely puts a smile on my face!
•  Funny signs- (see bottom of post)
• Cake batter ice cream with Sprinkles!
• Kittens, puppies..basically anything in baby form is adorable!  
• Piggy banks
• Some good fish and chips
• Taking a hot bath after a stressful day...feels SO GOOD!
• Score music from intense movies...such as: Glory Road, Remember the Titans, Pirates of the Caribbean..etc.
• Spending time with family!  Cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters.    
• Poetry
• Bubbles
• Knock knock jokes and puns- So corny but ya gotta love em!
• Hugs
• A nice mullet... BOYS: THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD GO GROW A MULLET.  I've only seen probably 3 nice mullets in my lifetime. 
• Old couples holding hands in public.  PRESH!
• Learning to Waltz
• Bike rides and picnics
• Not Straightening my hair
• Mexican food.  I know what you're thinking, NOT CAFE RIO, although, that makes me smile as well..I'm talking about REAL authentic Mexican food.  In Mexico.  Oh it's amazing. 
• Taking a nap in a hammock
• Anything from the 90's..especially the show Boy Meets World.  It definitely makes ME smile. 
• Having a pen pal
• Protein shakes after you work out
• Fireflies.  I SO wish we had them in Utah. 
• Accomplishment
• A song that describes exactly how you feel.  I would have to say, The Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons, and good old T-Swizzle have a song for everything..It's great. 
• Ferris Wheels at the Carnival
• Christmas lights 
• Meeting a new friend
• Catching up with an old friend
• Camp fires
• Traveling somewhere new.  My favorite place I've gone would have to be Washington..I LOVE IT. It's so beautiful.
• Lemonade on a sunny day, I prefer peach flavored. 
• Stargazing 
• Trick-Or-Treaters.  Handing out candy on Halloween is the best. 
• Temples
• Dream Catchers
•  All of this world's natural beauties- sunsets, sunrises, rainbows, clouds, beaches, rivers, mountains, flowers, trees, the moon, stars..
• Giving a gift to someone
• Journaling..and after a while, reading what you wrote a year ago.  
• Pillow pets
• Smelly good stuff..like lotion..or fresh cookies cooking in the oven.  
• Photo bombing random stranger's pictures! You're never going to see them again, so may as well!
• Rodeos.  Now I'm no cowgirl or anything, but the atmosphere is so much fun. 
• Comics in the newspaper
• Boat rides
• Knowing every word to an old song that comes on the radio.  
• Piano 
• Disney fairy tales
• Collages
• Putting your headphones in and escaping into your own world
• Hitting all green lights on your way home
• Concerts..music is beautiful. 

• Making someone else smile

 

Funny sign me and my friends saw. (:

LDS Salt Lake Temple

Dream Catcher picture I took.  Not edited!

As you can see, there are SO many things in this world to smile about.  When you are having a bad day, and all you want to do is frown, think of something that made you smile.  We are so blessed!  All of us!  Some are blessed in different ways than others, but we all have something to be thankful for.  

 

Yours Truly, Brookelle


 

RAIN

Lately, there have been quite a few fires here in Utah.  It's been so dry and the fires are spreading like..well..wildfire.  Everyday on the news, I would see updates on fires that had been going on, as well as new fires that started up.  The crazy thing to me, is that they believe most of these fires are started by people!  Seriously? It just confuses me.  I don't understand how some people can be so careless.  I know they were probably accidents, but still.  So many people had to evacuate their homes, and so many lost all their possessions and homes in the fires.  I can't imagine how horrible that would feel.  It just goes to show how blessed we really are.  

All over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, I have seen so many posts about how we all need to pray for rain.  I'm pretty positive that almost everyone did.  I know I did.  Early on July 5th, the rain came down!  It came down in Spanish Fork for quite a while, and as I was driving in the car with my mom and sister, I got goosebumps just thinking about how Heavenly Father always answers our prayers in one way or another.  Even though it took some time for the rain to come, it came.  The fires are still going, but I feel like it slowed them down, and gave us all hope.  Everyone keep praying for the families who have lost loved ones and homes in the fires.  We truly are blessed. 

Coincidence?

This past year has been pretty difficult for me.  My junior year has been the hardest trying to keep caught up with school work, but also with my friend situation.  I found out who I can really trust, which was pretty hard.  People change, and ya know, change can be good.  I moved out of my AMAZING ward in November, and that was killer.  I honestly didn't know what to do.  Even though I still saw my ward friends at school, it was just different.  I went from a ward that had at least 20 laurels, to one with about 5 active laurels.  I didn't really know what to think!  For the past 8 months, I didn't have the best attitude about it.  I was pretty mad that things couldn't be the way they used to be!  Okay.  Now that I'm done with my sob story..let me get to the point.  Things happen.  And sometimes they really suck.  But once I changed my attitude about everything, my life seemed SO much brighter!  

Why do crappy things happen??

I have come to find, this past month, that Everything happens for a reason.  I lost some pretty close friends, but I gained some even better friendships in the long run.  I have gotten to know people this year, that I probably wouldn't have even thought about talking to, had I been in my old group of friends.  I decided to do choir at my school, and I ended up making Chamber Singers and Concert Choir for next year!  Once I looked past the cruddy stuff that had been going on, I saw so many new opportunities!!!  Last week, I went to girls camp.  Honestly, I was really scared to go, because I didn't know the girls very well, and I didn't know how to act.  My mom "gave me the choice" to go or not, but OBVIOUSLY I chose to go..I mean I didn't want to sit around at home getting guilt trips from my mom about how I should have gone..you get my point.  Anyways..I went.  At first it was a little awkward, but by the end of the week, I made some friendships that should last forever.  I didn't realize what I had, because I had been so focused on what I used to have.  I wish I could go back and change my attitude, but at the same time, I learned so much from the mistakes I made.  When I look back on everything in my life that has happened, I realize, that without the small things that happened to me, my life would be completely different.  Everything you do impacts your life, whether it's big or small.  Sounds like a lot of pressure, huh.  Just remember what one of my childhood idols, Hannah Montana, once said, "Life's what you make it."  Don't worry about what you can't change, just be you, and look at the blessings that we all have!  

Yours truly, brooke