A Brigham Young University Student Journal
As I began my book group in the 5th grade class I’m teaching in this semester, I could tell that two girls were frustrated with one another. Here’s what ensued: dirty looks, obviously offended gestures, teasing, and complaints that the other was kicking her under the …
I love technology, but like many good things, it can be abused and overused. More applicable to me, it can be very, very time-wasting. Yet I keep reaching for my phone and turning on the T.V. any moment I can. It’s a habit that I …
I grew up just a few houses down from our town cemetery. Both my great-grandparents are buried there, plus a few other relatives. My grandfather is in the American Legion. For the past eight or so years, he has organized the Memorial Day program in my hometown and the surrounding communities. My extended family—aunts, uncles, and cousins—attend the Memorial Day program in the cemetery in the morning. After the program, our whole family runs across the street to my grandparents’ house and we have a special breakfast. The Memorial Day program is something in which many Americans participate. It is part of our culture. The breakfast is something unique to our family culture.
So what does this have to do with you?
According to a member of the governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Dallin H. Oaks, the depreciation of the family has led to the “lowest birthrate in [US] history.” Furthermore, “in many European Union nations and other developed countries, birthrates are below the level necessary to maintain their populations. This,” he says, “threatens the survival of cultures and even of nations.”
How do families safeguard cultures and nations? It is obvious that if no one has children than nations will eventually disappear. It seems a little extreme to think about, but who says it can’t happen?
Perhaps a little less dramatic but still concerning is the danger of losing cultures. Posterity is a safe hold for culture, both on a macro and micro level. While one family celebrates a birthday by going to Chuck E. Cheese, another might have a family party. This is a family tradition and part of a family culture. Have you ever talked to one of your friends and discovered that one of their traditions is to have a cookout on the Fourth of July? This family tradition contributes to a nation’s culture. Families create and perpetuate traditions. Traditions create culture, both within families and on a larger scale in society. Without families, who would continue these traditions?
Families are imperative for saving cultures and nations.
—Jessica Neilson, Stance
You’ve seen it at the grocery store—kid asks for candy, mom resists, kid throws a fit, mom gives in. While this situation may be the reality for parents on some trying days, it’s helpful to understand what’s behind this childish behavior. You wouldn’t want to …
I think as we get older a lot of us lose the intense sense of curiosity we had as children. (It really was a sort of sense with how natural it was.) That deep fascination with the world around us just kind of gets put …
Have you ever thought of a project, but you were too afraid to start?
I have a seven-year-old niece who has probably created more things than most people do in their lifetimes. Once, she made a fish tank out of paper and even devised a food dispenser with tape, folded paper, and paper scraps. When she lost a tooth this year, she set up a room for the tooth fairy out of a laundry basket with a toy bed and a fridge so that the fairy could take a break. This girl never stops creating.
I think a lot of us did things like that when we were little. After growing up, some people keep that creativity alive, while others classify themselves as “non-creatives” and avoid opportunities to see what they’re made of.
I don’t believe that art is the only outlet we have to be creative. I enjoy drawing, painting, and writing. I’m that kind of creative. But I haven’t always been confident that I could contribute my ideas in groups and meetings. I’m still not confident about that. But that’s another part of creativity, and I’m determined to develop it.
There’s an unlimited amount of creative outlets in this world. The challenge for us is to get over all of the fears that we make up about creativity—the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of being amateur, the fear of wasting time (that’s my big one).
Let me tell you something the bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert has written about creativity:
“So this, I believe, is the central question upon which all creative living hinges: Do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?”
Having the courage to be creative is an adventure. And don’t worry about wasting time. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,
“Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.”
So here is my challenge, and I’m doing this with you. Make it your goal to do one creative thing every day. You don’t have to spend a certain amount of time on it. Just do something. I guarantee that you will be more fulfilled in your life and in your family if you start to discover the treasures that are hidden within you.
Here are thirty-six ideas to get you started:
1. Write in your journal.
2. Take a picture.
3. Edit a picture.
4. Write a social media post.
5. Bake something.
6. Cook something.
7. Set the table nicely.
8. Draw something. It can be a doodle!
9. Paint a picture.
10. Paint furniture.
11. Paint a room.
12. Rearrange the furniture in your home.
13. Sing a song.
14. Play an instrument.
15. Do a workout. Maybe create your own routine.
16. Dance.
17. Ice skate.
18. Sew something.
19. Knit.
20. Crochet.
21. Play with a child.
22. Write a story.
23. Tell a story.
24. Write a blog post.
25. Write a letter.
26. Write a poem.
27. Write a letter.
28. Practice calligraphy.
29. Do your makeup.
30. Try something new with your hair.
31. Put together a new outfit.
32. Plan a date.
33. Contribute your idea in a meeting.
34. Learn a monologue.
35. Make a fun way to study for a test.
36. Ask a question. Do whatever you can to answer it.
I could go on, but I hope that these ideas get the wheels turning. Comment any success or failure stories. I don’t care which. I want to hear about courage.
—Sophia Parry
Having been a member of the Provo, Utah population for nearly four years, I’ve had a firsthand witness of this college town’s dating environment. I’m here to tell you: it’s an anomaly wrapped in an enigma. People want to date, and yet it terrifies them …
When I spoke in church on Sunday, and the phrase, “Marriage is the best self-help program,” spilled out of me, I realized how fixated with self-help I really am right now. Yes, as a 21-year-old, I’ve already started reading self-help books for fun. But I believe it’s …
I’m coming to the end of a one-block (seven-week) BYU class on special education for elementary school students. Not only have I learned more about various disabilities—cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, ADHD—I’ve also learned to see the great potential in children with special needs.
Before I took this class, I thought differently about teaching children with special needs. I was nervous to help students with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and emotional disturbance—and to tell the truth, I thought that it would be difficult to include them in my general ed class with the other students.
In class, we shared thoughts on the question, what stops us from being open to learning from those with special needs?
Some eye-opening myths about disabilities we discussed include:
Throughout the class, my attitude changed and my bag of tricks grew. Guest speakers touched my heart when they expressed their own challenges or their work with individuals with disabilities. I cried more than once.
I learned many ways to accommodate for students with special needs—including ways to use materials, position the environment, instruct in various subjects, and provide behavior contracts. The LDS Church offers great guidelines on adapting lessons to help individuals with disabilities as well.
Volunteering with a student created the biggest adjustment in my thinking. Twice a week, I visited a local elementary school and worked with an upper-grade student during math. Although he was socially proficient—and even quite comical with his jokes—the academics side just did not come easily for him.
As I saw the difficulties this student faced in accessing the content and using the procedures that his peers caught onto so quickly, my heart went out to him. Frustration also came when I asked questions to help him understand or to encourage him to explain his thinking and we both ended up confused. Laughter helped us bond. I discovered that he thought really well about problems when we used real-life contexts, like candy or pizza or iPads or mountains. I’m not sure how much he gained from our interactions, but I gained a lot of insight.
Instead of dreading the responsibility of teaching individuals with disabilities, I’m looking forward to the opportunities. Building an inclusion classroom to help all students succeed is now my goal.
—Leah Davis Christopher, Stance
In my next post, read excellent tips for cracking the code behind misbehavior.
One gem that seems to often be looked over in our community is the Provo City Library. It’s an incredible sight because of its beautiful architecture and rich history, but there is more to this historical site than just looks. The library holds awesome functions …