women

roommates.

my lovely parents generously offered to watch the boys so i could go to a relief society conference this evening.  it was wonderful.  i haven't felt the spirit that strongly in a while.

the speaker, rosie cooper, was sweet and funny and just emanated this contagiously happy energy.  there was light in her face when she spoke.  then my friend brittany leaned over and whispered to me that rosie had lost her husband about 6 months ago to a very aggressive form of brain cancer.

...what?

her topic was "overcoming adversity".  she delivered her message with such grace and humor and with such a strong spirit that i doubt there was anyone in the room wasn't touched.  she spoke of her husband's battle with cancer and how it blessed her family, and of her childhood and the broken home she'd grown up in.

it amazed me that she seemed so happy, so vibrant, even after enduring trials that seemed insurmountable.  one of the themes that stuck with me was that "the Lord loves broken things".  broken ground allows seeds to be planted.  broken clouds release rain to the earth.  broken hearts are open and willing to receive love.   he loves us, all of us, all the time.

sitting in that room with all those women made me think about the relationships we have.  i think that the relationship among women is one of the most special and irreplaceable.  there is a strength that we can draw from our fellow sisters.  we need girl friends.  the times in my life when i haven't had these relationships have been some of the loneliest and hardest.

we need each other.  of that much i am certain.

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i am also fairly certain that tesla and desmond were pretty dang cute babies.

aaahhh!  don't you just want to snuggle them?