Sometimes the greatest comfort...

...is knowing that I'm not the only one who's hurting.
I'm not the first person to feel this way, and I won't be the last.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictons shall be but a small moment;

And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."

"There is sun on the horizon
A candle in a cave
a little bit of color on the next page.
There's always something better
when you look for the light
on a Dark day."

This too shall pass...

Ode to Clara

First of all, I want to start off by saying, let's hear it for music classes! In what other major can you find three credit courses offered for only one credit, but still pack the punch of the three credit workload?! Yay for being a music major!!

Anyways...

As a part of my major I have to take three history-type courses titled Music Lit 1,2, and 3. ("Lit", I'm assuming, is short for literature. Just a guess.) My last semester proved to be completely dull and a chore. This semester, however, has been quite different. I have really enjoyed all of it! Our teacher is very organized, adorable, engaging, and super smart to top it all off. This past week we've been continuing our study of the Romantic era, and as part of it, we learned about Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara.
I just want to give a shout out to Clara Schumann! I think she's super cool.

First of all, she was a child prodigy, sort of like Mozart, but not so much in compositions - mostly performing. She was touring and performing with major musicians of the day by age 9! Then, at 16, she met Robert and they fell in love. For four years she had to battle to keep their relationship and love alive because of her father's disapproval of it all (he didn't want his little girl to have to step out of the lime light for something as silly as marriage). Then, when they did marry (after a lengthy court case and a not-so-happy-ending with her father), she put her music aside to support her husband, and her, eventually, eight children! She remained totally faithful to her husband throughout his career, his severe mental illness, and his death, which left her a widow of eight children at age 37! But, she didn't stop there! To keep his illness and attempted suicide from shadowing his great work, Clara started performing her husbands compositions after his death. This is what she did for most of the remainder of her life, and she lived a long one. She successfully raised all of her children, outlived many of them, and kept Robert Schumann's music alive. She is the main reason why we are so familiar with many of his works today!

So, once again - can I get a little shout-out for Clara? Way to be, girl.

Foreshadows of the Summer

I feel like the Summer is going to be fantastic...BUT, at the same time I can't help but be a little envious. Two of my really good friends are embarking on new adventures for the holiday. One is participating in the Playmill Theater productions, and the other is going to be a performing missionary in Historic Nauvoo, Illinois. I know that what I will be doing may not be as much fun, but is still quite important. However...I still am wishing that I could be going off on my own adventure for the Summer months, instead of doing what I've always done - teaching swim lessons to pay my way through school.

As I expressed these concerns to my two friends, one of them, a certain Alex Trost, said to me,"You know what, Sara?"
"What?"
He looked at me quite intently and said,"I think this Summer is going to be great for you. I can read auras, and even though yours is really black (we're sitting in the Black Box theater, which got it's name for obvious reasons), don't be deceived. It may seem like it foretells of gloom and that your Summer is doomed...but I feel like it will be wonderful."

Thanks, Alex. You are so wise.

Dear Facebook...

It's interesting to think about where we would be without the book of face. s.

I mean... let's sit down and take a closer look for just a moment.

I think we would all be less creepy.
Getting over your ex would be a whole HECK of a lot easier (not that I would know...).
We might actually voice our feelings to real live people, instead of to a lifeless computer screen with pictures of people we may or may not know
We might have real friends.
Relationships would still be validated even if they weren't posted in big black letters with a whimsical heart next to them.
"Happy Birthday" would mean a little more, and would come from those who actually remembered your birthday.
Your reputation would rely more on your personality and less on the creativity of the pictures you post...or the number of "friends" you have.
We would actually have to explain ourselves after we randomly say "life sucks"...or maybe not...maybe next time I'm in a group of people I'll spontaneously throw that one out there and let the other members of the party toss it around for a little bit - leave it up for interpretation.

That being said...I still totally love Facebook. Maybe someday I will get rid of it. But probably not soon.

That is all.

This is me being poetic. ...sort of. Ready. Go.

It's the misunderstood who understand not to judge
It's the grudge undeserved that teaches us to forgive
It's the one who has nothing who knows how to give everything
It's the one told that he can't who edifies and inspires
It's the emptiness and sorrow that teaches us how to smile
It's the eyes that look up that embody humility
It's the cheeks streaked with tears that know the sheer joy of laughter
And it's the soul stained with heartache that truly knows how to love