Ed Week Friday

The week is over, and it was both fantastic and exhausting. It was a level of spiritual input that I have never experienced - Women's Conference is the kindler, gentler Education Week. I love Women's Conference, but it's a little too short, and leaves me wanting more. It's the difference between an elegant, gourmet meal and an all-you-can-eat buffet. If I had had the self-control to pace myself, I could have eked out a little more energy for these last two days, but I don't. And just like at a buffet, I've stuffed myself so much that I think I'll never have to eat again.

Sadly, though, that's not true. And it makes the end of the week bittersweet, because I want this sublime feeling to last forever, and I know that once I'm fully immersed in the world again, it will fade. And that's sad. Why couldn't I live a perfectly spiritual life, where I do nothing without praying first and the scriptures are the books I grab when I want to read for fun. Where nothing makes me angry and I am full of love for all mankind, even the parts of mankind that normally bug the crap out of me. Like the people who eat during class and all I can hear is the sucking sound of the candy between their teeth. Or the people who encroach on my personal desk space with their hairy elbows. No, those things wouldn't bother me anymore. I wouldn't even notice them because I am so full of love. Why can't that be me?

So here is a list of all of the things that, were I perfect, I would now be doing forevermore:

Write my personal history
Write a history of all of my ancestors
Donate money to help orphans in Africa
Be a lifelong learner (that's one I think I've got down)
Go on weekly dates with Ryan
Go on monthly dates with each of my kids
Make Ryan go on monthly dates with the kids, too
Focus on the small things to improve our family
Go through all of our closets and get rid of half of our stuff
Keep the house clean and organized all the time
Study the parables and see the deeper meaning
Avoid the 4 No's of communication: lying, blaming, criticizing, anger
Don't be offended and don't offend either
Turn the other cheek
When the kids are fighting, pull out the scriptures. And not to whack them with.
Not feel guilt, unless there is sin involved
Recognize anger as a mask for fear
Show love the way the recipient needs it, not the way I do
Always handle disagreements calmly

But since that list is way too overwhelming, here are the things I'm going to start with:
Read my scriptures with more depth and focus, not just to get it done
Try to take less offense, and to give less offense
Love my family

Those I think I can handle, and it'll give me more to work towards. After all, I don't want to perfect myself too quickly. I want to have a reason to come back next year.

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Here are the updated classes today:
Being Enough
Writing Personal History
Calming the Storms Within
Speaking the Language of Faith
Our Divine Design

And if you're interested, these speakers I thought were so great that next year I'll go to any class they teach:
Scott Andersen
S. Dee Barrett
C. Robert Line
Stan Crippen