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