I HOPE YOU DANCE

Wowza, the last time I wrote on this blog I was feeling very enthusiastic about school.

Don't get me wrong...school is going great, but my life has been a roller coaster ride. Full of many large ups and some downs here and there.

But along with completing my level three program (two semesters in one...thee hardest semester I will ever have), I started a new, real job. The fact that I am doing these at the same time is exceeding my expectations.

Last week however, I hit a breaking point. Had a tough day of work, as I was finishing up some heavy training. I was assigned my first client to be on my own with. And on my way home from work, I got pulled over.

Right then, I felt like quitting my job, dropping out of school, and working at some place easier.

 Never, have I ever had these thoughts. 

I think at that point, I had just come unglued after having struggled thee entire day.

So I did what Jerra's do, picked up the phone and called my momma to cry to.

I continued to cry all the way home. Just feeling defeated and emotionally drained from life altogether. And the song "I Hope You Dance" came on, and it just spoke to me.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance.
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'

These are things my mommy told me when I was nervous for my driving test, when I was scared to ride my bike without training wheels, or learning to wakeboard.



To not be scared. And to never settle for the easy path because it's easy.

Maybe people who achieve greatness are always scared, and apart of being great is being in a place that scares you. To take risks with a little bit of fear, but a whole lot of confidence.

I thought that being scared ended when you were 12 or so, but being scared is a part of life.

I realized that dropping out of school and quitting my job were things I wanted to do because I was scared, not because they are impossible.

It's time that I embrace that fear. I recognize that I am scared, but that I am not going to let that be the deciding factor in my life's decisions.

Fear goes away, if you continue to face it head on, it will go away.
But regret doesn't. You will always regret the things you didn't do because you were too scared to do them.



So I hope you dance. 

I hope you dance when your scared, when it rains, and when your all alone.

I hope that when you fear you've forgotten your routine, you lace up your shoes anyway, and you make it up as you go.

and when you get the choice, to sit it out...or dance....I hope you dance

Full Circle

It's been a few months since I last updated this....so here's one.

Every time I felt my life wasn't working the way I thought I had planned it to be, my mom would say:

"Just wait, it will all work out."

I think its hard to be patient when your in the dark and feeling like everything is going wrong. Not knowing when better times will come makes you grow impatient. But this summer has proved to me that everything I have been working towards is slowly making it's way.

At the beginning of the year, I decided to quit my job at the Gap to try something new (and get some more hours so I can graduate with ZERO debt 😀)

I got a dream job working on a summer school program for school aged kids. I interviewed, got the job, and was more than excited to start.

This has been something I have been working towards for three years, so I walked in thinking it would be easier than it was. Not going to lie....the first few weeks of having 25 kids to yourself full-time is NOT EASY. I struggled, but with every struggle, these kids grew their way into my heart. I am slowly approaching the day I will have to leave them to go back to school and I am not too enthusiastic about that.

The other day, one of my students came up and tugged on my shirt, looked me in the eyes and said:

"Miss Jerra, I'm glad you decided to be a teacher."

Those 5 year olds just know how to hit the heart strings.

I'm so grateful for these little experiences that have just been thrown in my path that allow me to learn, and love what I do. All my schooling has gotten me so far, and that's such a good feeling. (Only 3 semesters left!)

You look at life a little different when you get to see it through the eyes of kids with different families, backgrounds, ethnicity, and even religion. Makes me excited to be a parent one day (in the very very far future).

I remember someone telling me that your younger years are the best years of your life and I beg to differ. Every year I've had in college has gotten better and better.

I'm in this phase in life where I LOVE where I am at now with going to school, being involved on campus, and working my butt off. But I am also so so excited for future. I can't wait to have a classroom of my own and be able to afford nice things for myself as well. 😜

Here's to some even greater journeys to come, student teaching, graduating, moving back to Hooper, and maybe falling for someone. 😉

Until next timmmeee.

you were good to me

My little brother sent me this song super late last night. And I stared at my white ceiling listening to it. It brought a lot of things back.

All these little moments where I felt like someone was good to me came loose, and the lyrics spoke to me.

Leaving people behind in your life is gut wrenching. Pushing people behind you that once made you feel whole.

I feel like this song hits all of those feelings. 

"Leaving, isn't better than trying

Growing, but I'm just growing tired"

I remember feeling guilty leaving relationships because I felt that I could have tried harder to make them work. But I am...growing tired of leaving people.....and being left.

There's a growing fear, that because so much hasn't worked out, that it never will. (never thought I would say that as a twenty year old)

"Now I'm worried for my soul

And I'm still scared of growing old
You were good to me
You were good to me, yeah
And I'm so used to letting go
But I don't wanna be alone
You were good to me"

A fear that maybe all the times I left someone....I could have tried harder and it would have worked.

Maybe I am the one at fault all this time.

I am sure I am not the only one that has felt this way. 

Love sucks.

Some people just get it easy, it just comes to them the first try.

and some people have to struggle through it.

I have decided that I am one of many that was meant to struggle with dating and love. It wasn't meant to come easy for me and instead of being upset about it I need to be grateful. 

I often think of the quote "I am thankful for my struggle, because without it, I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength." My trials have made me strong, and molded me closer to the person I truly am. 

Every guy I have gone through has reminded me what I loved about myself, and what I don't love.

Maybe every person I date from now on is a stepping stone to the person I truly am, and the person I will spend the rest of my life with. 

Just because they were good to me, doesn't mean they were made for me.

God has bigger plans for me.

Until next time...

Triple Beam Balances

I feel like we all go through those times where you just hit a week of crumbyness.

This is my week.

Boston marathon times got raised, my brother dislocated his hand, forgot to turn in a homework assignment (this is the end of the world for me), spring break ended, got friend zoned, got my scholarship application rejected because I didn't fill out 1 box, I have laundry that needs folding, my room is a mess, I have been living off nothing for two days because I have had no time to get groceries.....I am just emotionally wasted.

After I cried to my mom 6 times over the span of 2 days, I said a prayer to God in hopes that it would get better.

I don't understand why bad things have to happen one after another. 

I laid on my bed this afternoon about as frustrated as I could be. I stared at the ceiling, and tears welled in my eyes.

As I laid there, I heard arguing from my roommate next door. 

*sidenote* no I am not a snoop, it was very loud

She was yelling at her mom.

I don't know, I think we all have those moments in our life where we snap like a glow stick and realize that we screwed up.

I quickly found myself on my knees next to my bed, my hands together, and I said my second prayer today.

"Dear Heavenly Father,"

"I take it all back. It is better. You don't need to make it better, you don't need to put things in place for me. Can you just keep it the same?"

"I love my mom and she loves me, and she is my best friend. I love my daddy, I love my sisters and my brother. And I would rather die than for you to take them away from me."

"Thank you for all the things you've done right, I love you God."

I walked home from work tonight and the A was just shining as bright as I have ever seen it.

I analyzed my life on this walk. 

I thought about the worst thing I had been through. My worst trial in the world. As soon as I thought about it, I found myself pitying myself. Telling myself that I had been through something terrible, and that it makes me deserving of something better.

But this isn't true. 

I am a firm believer that a lot of us think this way. We take some of our hardest times in life and let them devour us whole. We cry about them, worry about, lose sleep over them, and we pity ourselves.

I decided today that instead of focusing on the 1 thing that pulled me under, to focus on the ten things that kept me afloat during that time.

I realized on my walk home that every bad in this world is outweighed.

Remember those triple beam balances in jr high science class that you use to measure things?

Well....you put the thing you are trying to measure on one side, and your weight measurements on the other and you use those weight measurements to find the right measurement. 

This is how are hard times work.

As I was busy being upset about the Boston qualifying times changing (my 1 lb burden), I failed to see the weight measurements that were evening out that burden.

6 ounces - My mom was there to hear me cry over the phone. To tell me it will all work out. I am grateful to have a mom that I love, one that I can trust, and one that is my best friend.

4 ounces - As I am sitting in my office, my Logan mom and Sarah walk in to give me a laugh. I have a job I love. I have coworkers that care so much about me. That pick me up, give me advice, and would break their backs to make my day better.

2 ounces - USU. Doesn't take much to walk the campus of USU and realize how lucky I am to be able to go to college. I have a family here. I love my Logan life. I love my home.

2 ounces - Health. I am not sick. I am not confined to a wheelchair or a hospital bed. I can be completely independent, and I am lucky to say that.

2 ounces - The gym. This sounds completely cliche. But if you know me, the ARC is my place of comfort, and I am so grateful to have somewhere to go to take out all the pain I may be experiencing. Some people don't have places that make them feel this way. I am grateful.

So yes. These past two days have been full of tough times. But how these rough times will effect me is all determined by which side of the balance I look at.

Sleeping in the Stars

On October 24th, I was told my grandma had only two weeks to live. It came as a complete shock to my entire family; kidney failure, a tumor the size of shoe box, and a heart three times too big. My grandma has always been healthy...and that she has been that way since I have known her.

But she shocked us, the last two months of her life was a roller coaster, as she continued to exceed any expectation that was set for her. She's a fighter, yet shows no signs of it.

Grandma,

Oh how I can still just hear your voice. I can feel your body crushing hugs and the sound your shoes made when they scooted across our hardwood floor. It doesn't feel like your gone.

I miss the popsicles we ate on your back porch, that big swing you had in front of your house, I miss your hidden mints, and your stinky fish pond you made me clean. I miss you teaching us to cross stitch those ugly kitten patterns, I miss your love for the cabin.

I was right there with you your last moments, and I just hope and pray that you knew it.

You taught me how to work hard, and that hard work was uncomfortable. I remember the task of cleaning the fish pond.....we always thought you were punishing us by making us clean it. I remember telling you "IT STINKS!" and you just said "Oh, it's not that bad!" I know you didn't enjoy the smell either, but not once did you make that obvious. You were ALWAYS happy, I think that you had unhappy moments, but you were so good at convincing yourself that they were happy.

I miss going to church with you. You loved to sing, and you were so good at it. One day I was sitting in the pew with you, and you snuck me a sucker and taught me how to conduct from the back of the hymn book. (No I am not good at being a chorister....your funeral was a prime example of that). My most vivid memories of you were spent at church. You wanted more than anything to make us better, you wanted us to love God as much as you did. Until the day you died, you stood by your beliefs.  I hope he has his arm around you right now.

I miss sitting in your front room and just talking with you. We snuck lifesaver mints from your tin jars. You would hide them from us for your own entertainment. The common theme of our conversations was "Are you dating anyone yet?' You wanted us to find love and be happy so much.

I miss your love for Utah State. You would tell me about being in the honor college and being a resident's assistant for the honors dorms. And you were a teacher.....just like me. I walk this campus now and I feel you...everywhere. This is where you found what you loved to do. My heart is full knowing that I am following in your footsteps. What an example you are.

On your last day, you were still you. You were a fighter. I remember when my mom left the room for just 5 minutes and I just sat there with you and held your hand. Those same hands that taught me to sew, to garden, that reached to give me a hug, those hands once held my daddy when he took his first breath. How I didn't want to let them go.

Grandma, you were the beginning of a legacy. And this legacy will live on.

I was LUCKY to be your granddaughter. You brought me here. My middle name is yours too. You are the reason I am who I am today. My kids will know about you.

I'm going to finish that cabin, and I promise I will keep it there. I promise.

I hope you never forget how much I love you.

Love,

Your Little Rabbit.

Reopening

Our first trip out boating every year we go in May. For those who don't go boating often, during May, the water is still prettyyy darn cold.

As soon as we push out the boat, the four of us kids sit on the edge dipping our toes in to see if its cold. Some of us throwing on our wet suits (*cough* Katie and Ethan). 

My dad will get us out in the middle of the lake and then yell "who's in first?" We all look at one another and play this game of "Ethan you go first, Jerra you go first" as we stand on the edge of the boat peering into the ice water.

It takes about 10 minutes for one of us to jump in first, but quickly we all follow suit afterwards.

As the season goes on, the shorter the time it takes for us to jump in. It goes from 10 minutes, to 7 minutes, to 5, to jumping out of the boat before the engine is even turned off. 

As I sat in 10 degree weather this morning waiting for the bus to come, I couldn't help but think of boating. How so badly I wanted to be on a freaking boat instead of freezing like a popsicle.

But as that thought was passing, another one was running parallel to it. 

Opening up my heart again. 
I'm scared out of my mind that I am going to continue to get hurt the more I do it.

So you know me,

I had to make a comparison of the both of these thoughts.

Instantly I could see how my heart easily compared to the way the 4 of us are afraid of the cold water. 

Recently I got to the point where I didn't think I could handle ever opening up myself to anyone...ever again.

Here I am, standing on the edge of the boat, slowly dipping in my toes and its cold. That fear comes on just by dipping my toe in. It all comes flooding back. "What if I get hurt again? Am I sure about this?"  It's hard to jump in when you know what the water may feel like.

I look back at my family and maybe some friends, and they all tell me to jump...but I am scared.

After 10 minutes of telling myself it will be okay, (aka much longer in reality) I gain the courage to jump. I panic as the cold water hits hard...but I come right back up. And I realize it wasn't so bad after all.

It gets easier and easier every time you jump. You jump off quicker and quicker until it's just second nature.

So don't let the cold water scare you from opening up.

Oldie but a Goodie

Highlight Reel

My whole life I have been taught to never hold a grudge against people.  When we were little, my mom said over and over "two wrongs don't make a right". (I can hear her say it as I type) With this mindset, I learned that there was never someone who really hurt me bad enough to dislike them.

Years pass, and I hit a wall, a wall of people. People that lied to me, hurt me, and then left me in the dark. I felt the need to speak up about how hurt I was. That maybe if I told everyone how much I was hurt that it would solve the problem.

But I didn't. I had to be the better person. I wasn't going to make their lives worse because my own was hard.

So I held it in. Like my parents had taught me too my entire life.

It was rough. I am sure most people have had to experience it in their lifetime to an extent. Having to be positive towards someone that hurt you. It was hard, but I did it and I am proud of myself. Through the hard times, I fought my battles on my own.

But the longer I held it in, the worse I felt when their name popped up.

(warning: here comes the selfishness)

I don't see them much anymore, but I felt as if they were being put on a pedestal. Everyone would tell me how much they loved them, all of the people that never had to experience what I did. I wanted to respond by saying "are you sure?". Now don't get me wrong, they were good to me for many years, but I am still hurt. There's only so many bridges you can burn before there's no place to cross anymore, and I have reached that point with them.

I was on a drive with my mom and I brought it up to her.

"Mom, how can someone who hurt me so bad walk away like it was nothing?"
"Mom, I was the one that was hurt, and all that anyone cares about is them"

It all came flooding out with some tears and I felt as if I am being selfish. I don't wish hardship on anyone. But for once, I wanted people to see the truth.

My mom is a remarkable woman. She always seems to have the greatest answers to life's most pressing questions.

Katie has this quote she made hanging in our house that reads:

"The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel."

I never really took the meaning from it until my mom mentioned it.

"What you are seeing is but a sliver of their lives, their highlight reel. Anyone can have a good highlight reel, but what about the rest of the movie?"

It hit me then and there that I was being ridiculous.

The conversation changed the subject right after. But my thoughts kept rolling.

What would my highlight reel look like? What would be on it?

It was overwhelmingly full. Full of good times and bad ones, and everything in between.
Maybe my highlight reel was longer than 3 minutes, maybe it was 20 years.

I realized that I needed to push these thoughts behind me, and soak up what was right in front of me.

Forget about their highlight reel, because my entire movie is breathtaking. They may have a short highlight film, but I have an entire movie.

Today I set a goal for myself.

From now on, I will make everyday good enough to be part of my highlight reel.