Smiling at the Light

Today was a marvelous day- a big change from the rest of the week where I had been battling some type of crazy flu and was trying to get off of my “week off” schedule (ie. sleeping in was not an option this week). The women here in Utah excelled in their recruitment process and set the record high for next year’s standards. I’m so proud of them and they worked so hard. It was a true mark of their success this morning when I read their returns.

The rest of the day was spent celebrating and getting to know their newest members. We drove up to the mountains above Salt Lake City and had dinner at a gorgeous house. While the Utah Civil War football game was on (ie. University of UT vs, UT State), I took myself outside to see the view, which was, as per post below, absolutely wonderful. I spent the hour catching up on work calls and absorbing the scenery while lounging on the grass and watching the sunset over the west- they are just so much prettier when you’re actually in the west, by the way. The light is brighter and more vibrant, I swear.

The women joined me outside shortly after sunset and sat in a circle for a special ceremony. It was so rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of the new members in the last light of the day- they were so happy and you could tell how special they really felt. Seeing this reminded me of last January, when I saw the happiest faces walk through the door at MY house, where we were welcoming OUR newest members. A special face in particular came to mind- not sure if it was the sunset, or the cool summer breeze coming over the mountains that made me feel this way, but I was immediately reminded of Milena. I felt like she was sitting there with me, smiling at the new faces in the crowd with me and sharing in the moment. Even though she didn’t know these women like I did, she was proud of them just like I was, and happy to be called their sister. Despite her lost battle, her darling, memorable smile will always be the thing that people remember the most. I also fondly think of her loyalty and kind heart, her ability to make a crowd burst into laughter and her eternal drive to make the most of her life. I wish people would not get caught in the monotonous day to day struggles, and instead thrive on living the life they wanted to live. They too would be happy like Milena was. Like Milena is. They’d probably look like everyone else in the circle looked- joyful, with bright, smiling faces.