Eating Oatmeal.

Life is hard. School is hard. Friendships are hard. Being away from home is hard. Living on my own is hard. Waking up so early in the morning is hard. Missing people is hard. Responsibilities are hard.

And sometimes life becomes so overloaded and stressful that I feel like I'm going to explode. What do I do when this happens?

I eat oatmeal.

I make myself a big, HOT, double serving of strawberries and cream/apples and cinnamon oatmeal, and stir in big helpings of milk and honey. When its ready I sit down on my couch, turn on my "favorites" playlist with the volume on low, close my eyes, and let myself relax.

No distractions can get to me. I close Facebook, and turn off the t.v. My phone goes on silent, and my laptop is shut down. I turn away from the dirty dishes, and the remnants of our latest apartment disaster(the flooded toilet) and instead face the window and watch the wind blowing through the trees. I close all textbooks, music books, and notebooks, and for the moment, I forget about whats due in a few hours, the next day, or even two weeks from now.

I slowly begin to eat the oatmeal, savoring each bite. With every bite taken I contemplate life, and all its complexities. I take time to think about old memories, some that bring a smile to my face, while others bring a tear or two(..or maybe three or four). I think about life as it is now, with all its joys and frustrations. I take the time to sort through problems, and try to come up with solutions. At this point the faces of the ones who are most important to me pop into my head and I thank my Heavenly Father that I have been blessed to know so many wonderful people.

...and slowly, ever so slowly the bowl is emptied.

As I take the last few bites of my now almost cold oatmeal, my thoughts turn to the future. Whats going to happen? Am I following the path I should be? Whats going to change? And while these thoughts are frightening most of the time, for the moment, I'm not scared.

I take the last bite and realize its almost time to face reality. Its time to go back to the drudgery of everyday life. My feelings are a strange mix of melancholy, joy, and peace. I stand up to take my bowl to the sink and realize that I feel a lot better.

A quote pops into my head.

"Life is just like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." ~Gordon B. Hinckley

Tears of gratitude come to my eyes. Life may, at times, feel like its full of bumps and bruises, but I am so grateful for this journey I've been allowed to take.

And for the opportunity to slow down and eat a bowl of oatmeal.