Circumstances.

This blog post has been inspired by many recent incidents that have occurred in my life. I'll continue to explain. 

For my class titled Multicultural Understanding, I read something tonight that sparked my interest on the idea of circumstances. This novel is titled Holler if You Hear Me. It is, surprisingly, quite an enjoyable read, particularly for teachers. And for a college course, too. Who knew?
Paloma is a girl who was raised by Mexican parents. Her situation is not ideal: poor family, lack of support from peers, etc. Yet, in the book, she refuses to let her circumstances stop her future. 


I truly believe that people are the way they are because of the circumstances that have been given them. However, I don't believe that because of someone's circumstances, they should stay in that particular rut. Yet, I have learned that it does deter their knowledge on how to particularly change things. So often we think that life is a continuous pattern of chains, that statistics and life tends to repeat itself. But, it doesn't have to be that way. You don't have to be a part of somebody else's history. You make your own.

And this is where my future comes in. As a teacher, I get to decide if I want to see my students for who they are inside. I will choose to help those that are given these circumstances, but still hold them accountable. I get to teach these students that although they are the way they are because of their circumstances, they get the opportunity to grow, to make, a new circumstance.  "To me, a teacher shouldn't just be a grown u[. They should at least have a little bit of their childhood inside. They should teach because they love children and not for any other reason."

A friend from home, Brittany, was wearing a normal outfit to school at Brigham Young University. She received, on Valentine's Day, no doubt, a note from a boy that was rude, derogatory, and plain hurtful. The note, in a nutshell,  exclaimed that her dress was inappropriate. (Which, I assure you, it was not). The whole incident has gone viral. Homegirl is famous now. No, but seriously.
Anyway, as I have been thinking of this idea of circumstances, my mind has continuously been turned upside down.

This boy made the decision to hand that awful note to Brittany. The words he wrote were judgmental and extremely hurtful. Sometimes our circumstances appear because we make that decision to place them in our lives. We are given this beautiful thing called choices (or agency). We decide how we want to react to a hurtful comment. We decide how someone else's actions affect us. Our circumstances, sometimes, can be changed from our attitude, beliefs, strength, and daily decisions. It is important to remember that our decisions DO affect our circumstances.

I continue to have wonderful spiritual experiences. Side note: I don't mean for this blog to be one to push religion on everybody, but all of these experiences only continue to come up and I just have to share them with all of you because it's such a huge factor in my life. I feel that I should. My dear friend, Teddy, just left on a mission to Hawaii (so jealous). My choir had the opportunity to sing at her farewell. The spirit that accompanied that song was perfect. I gave a devotional about turning to the Lord for peace because He knows exactly how we are feeling. Here's the thing though: I didn't give it; the spirit did. Br. Eggett reminded me today that my trials, my hardships, will be compensated ten fold if I just hang on through the rough times. I have placed myself in situations, around wonderful friends who read scriptures with me (seriously, where else can you find that?) to change my circumstances. I have changed my life decisions so that I am able to have these spiritual experiences. These spiritual experiences, will, ultimately only lead to greater circumstances. 

And sometimes, our circumstances are changed when we realize other peoples' perspectives. Life has sort of smacked me across the face recently. I have had to make a conscious decision to change my attitude and do something about my circumstances. I cannot change my internal structure. I cannot change my body. But, I can change my perspective. When I was down in the dumps, I only continued to hear stories that humbled my heart. When I thought my soul ached for something, when I was unbearably sad, I have come across these life stories recently:
-A blog of a woman who has lost her ten year old son and then her husband two months later. She is inspiring. Can you imagine?
-A woman lost her fiancé one month before they were to be married due to a car accident.
-A friend of mine's cousin woke up blind one morning a couple of weeks ago. Just woke up completely blind after having a life of vision beforehand. 30 years old.
-Another friend of mine told me of a woman who is completely paralyzed after a car accident, one in which she should have died.
-I have found out that a friend of mine had been suffering from lymphoma a few years ago and was told that he/she (no hints ha) was to die in three months. He/she is standing in front of me today, happy as ever.
-Writing a paper about Kenya and being reminded of all the hardship I saw, that I lived in. Man, I miss those African children.

Just when I think my circumstances are hard, I am reminded that my trials are placed in my life for a reason. The Lord and your own decisions affect, change, and help your circumstances. 
Life can make or break you. What's your breaking point? Will that break you, or make you? 


P.S. I may or may not have heard this boy's voice on Valentine's Day. I am a giddy girl.

xoxo.