Before you begin to read this blog,
there are some things you should know about me. The things that filter my world
and generate my beliefs and opinions. I share these things now, in the hope that it will clarify where some of my beliefs come from, as well as why certain topics feel so relevant and important to me.
I was born into a military family, and by the time I was 18 years old I had moved 11 times. My father is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. I am immensely proud of him, both for the service he gives to this country and for the intelligent, progressive man that he is. When I was 12 years old, we moved to Amman, Jordan where we lived for the next 3 ½ years — longer than I’d ever lived anywhere up to that point in time. In 2008 we moved again, this time across the River Jordan to Tel Aviv, Israel. I graduated from high school there two years later.
The last time I attended a public school was when I was 6 years old. When I was in 1st grade, my parents decided to homeschool all four of us kids. In 8th grade, I was moved out of the homeschool setting and into a private American school which was paid for by the military. I graduated from the Walworth Barbour American International School in Evan Yehuda, Israel — another private American school. My high school friends came from more nationalities than I can name: Spanish, Polish, Indian, Pakistani, Jordanian, Israeli, Nigerian, Czech, American, and others. During some of my most formative years I knew more about diversity than my own American culture.
In April of this year I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Brigham Young University (BYU). I had hoped to pursue a career in speech-language pathology, but for right now a master’s degree stands between me and that goal. In the meantime, I am a paraprofessional at a school for autistic children.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In other words, a Mormon. While I have struggled my whole life to understand God and His relationship to humanity (most especially His relationship to me), I have never once felt that I could not reconcile my doubts, frustrations, questions, and misunderstandings with what my religion has taught me. The answers did not, do not, and will not always come quickly. But they do come. Some people call it brainwashing, others call it blindness. I call it faith. Because as far as I’m concerned, faith is not a matter of simply believing everything that is placed in front of you, but a matter of choosing to test God and hope for the best outcome, even when all you know is you’ve been promised He exists and that He loves you.
On June 21, 2013, I married my incredible husband, Michael. I was 20 years old. At the time, I was acting on a faith-filled belief that we were capable of handling an eternity's worth of challenges as a united team. I trusted that I was making the right choice, but I had absolutely no way of knowing. When I reflect on my marriage now, it’s easy for me to say that I am married to the best teammate and the best friend I have ever had. The short amount of time that we’ve been married is hardly enough to prove a point, but it’s given me enough evidence that love is a growing, living thing that can blossom or whither depending on the care and forgiveness you give to it. I chose to be caring and forgiving, because I want to spend forever with Michael. In only 16 months he’s become such an integral part of my life that I cannot separate him from my own existence and still know who I am.
In summary, I am an opinionated, strong-willed woman of 22, with my world view shaped by everything from my family and upbringing to my education and career choices. This blog is very much a reflection of myself. It is intended as a place where I can express my beliefs and thoughts on whatever topic feels relevant to me at the moment, without the intention of making anyone agree with me. As long as I am writing here, I will express myself freely. I invite you to do the same, understanding, of course, that you must respect my own right to believe how and what I may the same as I respect yours.
I was born into a military family, and by the time I was 18 years old I had moved 11 times. My father is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. I am immensely proud of him, both for the service he gives to this country and for the intelligent, progressive man that he is. When I was 12 years old, we moved to Amman, Jordan where we lived for the next 3 ½ years — longer than I’d ever lived anywhere up to that point in time. In 2008 we moved again, this time across the River Jordan to Tel Aviv, Israel. I graduated from high school there two years later.
The last time I attended a public school was when I was 6 years old. When I was in 1st grade, my parents decided to homeschool all four of us kids. In 8th grade, I was moved out of the homeschool setting and into a private American school which was paid for by the military. I graduated from the Walworth Barbour American International School in Evan Yehuda, Israel — another private American school. My high school friends came from more nationalities than I can name: Spanish, Polish, Indian, Pakistani, Jordanian, Israeli, Nigerian, Czech, American, and others. During some of my most formative years I knew more about diversity than my own American culture.
In April of this year I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from Brigham Young University (BYU). I had hoped to pursue a career in speech-language pathology, but for right now a master’s degree stands between me and that goal. In the meantime, I am a paraprofessional at a school for autistic children.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In other words, a Mormon. While I have struggled my whole life to understand God and His relationship to humanity (most especially His relationship to me), I have never once felt that I could not reconcile my doubts, frustrations, questions, and misunderstandings with what my religion has taught me. The answers did not, do not, and will not always come quickly. But they do come. Some people call it brainwashing, others call it blindness. I call it faith. Because as far as I’m concerned, faith is not a matter of simply believing everything that is placed in front of you, but a matter of choosing to test God and hope for the best outcome, even when all you know is you’ve been promised He exists and that He loves you.
On June 21, 2013, I married my incredible husband, Michael. I was 20 years old. At the time, I was acting on a faith-filled belief that we were capable of handling an eternity's worth of challenges as a united team. I trusted that I was making the right choice, but I had absolutely no way of knowing. When I reflect on my marriage now, it’s easy for me to say that I am married to the best teammate and the best friend I have ever had. The short amount of time that we’ve been married is hardly enough to prove a point, but it’s given me enough evidence that love is a growing, living thing that can blossom or whither depending on the care and forgiveness you give to it. I chose to be caring and forgiving, because I want to spend forever with Michael. In only 16 months he’s become such an integral part of my life that I cannot separate him from my own existence and still know who I am.
In summary, I am an opinionated, strong-willed woman of 22, with my world view shaped by everything from my family and upbringing to my education and career choices. This blog is very much a reflection of myself. It is intended as a place where I can express my beliefs and thoughts on whatever topic feels relevant to me at the moment, without the intention of making anyone agree with me. As long as I am writing here, I will express myself freely. I invite you to do the same, understanding, of course, that you must respect my own right to believe how and what I may the same as I respect yours.