I Hope

I hope you remember the days when you felt like nothing could stop you. The days where the sun was shining to the point where you squinted with sunglasses on, but still you felt as though you were burning brighter. And when the sun set, your eyes lit up the darkness -- No no, not just for your, but for those around you.

I hope you remember every compliment that was given to you, whether they were sincere or not. I hope you keep those words close to you. I hope you remember every "I love you" and every time your stomach filled with butterflies that everyone defines as love.

I hope you still hear the screams as you dropped 300 feet on an awesome rollercoaster. Do you remember how greasy those slices of pizza were, yet they will always have the prize of the best slices ever!

I hope you remember the spontaneous adventures that was full of laughter that caused tummies to hurt. Or the nights that were filled with music - whether produced by your own creative juices or through the off-key karaoke notes sung.

Most of all, I hope these memories flood your brain when everything seems dark. I hope they are the match that lights your eyes up again. I hope they tell you how much you are worth and that giving up is not an option. I hope they make you realize that there are more days like that to come. I hope you remember that there are so many people that love you, even if in that moment you do not feel they do. I promise they do.

I hope you always stay gold and never rust.

Shay

CLARIFICATION

Let's be clear, shall we?

If you feel you can text someone all day that is not your partner, be alone with someone that is not your partner, call someone late at night for hours who is not your partner, and be consumed with this other person that is not your partner then .... 

YOU SHOULD NOT BE IN A RELATIONSHIP. 

Your partner should feel secure. You should not be texting someone else on your date with your partner. You should not be doing cuter things for other people, ESPECIALLY if you don't do anything of that sort for your partner.

Essentially, if you cannot be dedicated to one person then you do not deserve to be in relationship. 

If you think your partner is special, TELL THEM, SHOW THEM, AND DO NOT LET THEM FORGET. 

Stop being SO selfish and realize what you have in front of you. If you don't like it, then leave. Don't string someone along - just let them go. 

You be you and let them be them. 

Simple. Got it?

Rad. 

Stay gold, 

Shay

The Destructive Secret

I hope I can get this right.

I have witnessed someone I know go through something I could have never even imagine. I hope I get her story right.

Here is a man and lady. They are in love.

He kisses her forehead, opens her door, and blows warm air into her hands when it is cold outside. When she is not looking, he looks at her as if she is the greatest treasure he could ever have, and maybe she is.

She makes him dinner, makes sure he is healthy, stops by his office with little notes to let him know that he is always on her mind - because he is.

When he laughs, she can't stop herself from laughing as well. It's contagious! When he sees her smiling, he does not want it to fade. So, he tickles her.

They seem to be the lucky ones.

Until he revealed QUITE the secret. He had trouble telling her because it was something so embarrassing and shameful. Something he knew could hurt her. Through clenched teeth and tearful eyes, he finally exposed it.

An addiction to pornography.

She suddenly became insecure and scared. How could she measure up to airbrushed models with the hour glass body? She was just a girl.

Most girls she knew would run from this situation. Why would she want or need this in her life?

However, she knelt in prayer to ask for guidance and Heavenly Father provided her with the strength to endure it.

She told him she would stay and fight by his side. She knew he would fall again, but she also knew he had the desire, and power to overcome this dirty, disgusting addiction. She also knew the power of the atonement.

When he did fall, it hurt her. It seemed to her she was never enough because he chose a computer screen over loving her.

Yet no matter how many times he fell and dragged her even lower, she dusted off her clothing, and held out a hand to him.

"I am not leaving you" she would say each time.

She knew that this addiction to pornography did not make this man a bad one.

He was just making the wrong choices, but he was trying to get out of it. He was fasting, praying, and started to increase in faith. However, he kept falling every now and then.

Each time he fell, it hurt her. She knew that any wound could heal if it was given time, so she stayed right by him.

Did she feel she couldn't do better, or that this was the only option??  ABSOLUTELY NOT.

But how could she leave someone she loves so dearly on the battlefield, wounded and immobile?

She couldn't.

She is not naive. She knows exactly what she is getting herself into. Is she stupid? Maybe.

Soon, he became fed up. Fed up of what? I couldn't really say. My assumptions is he became fed up of hurting her and her coming back each time to save him. How was that fair to her? How did he deserve her? In his eyes, he was a monster.

Now, she is stuck with a decision. To listen to him when he says "walk away from this chaos" or to stay right where she knows she should be.

Either decision she chooses to make, I feel she will be okay. I want her to know that she will be okay.

Through all this mayhem she was still smiling and I know she will continue to. So many people love her and she is so blessed.

There is so much beauty out there, my dear friend, and you know it too.

Shay

From My Eyes

Define a date. 

Is it similar to mine?

"Two people getting together for an activity when the possibility of romance between them has been touched on, but not ruled out."

If so, I want you to continue reading and tell me if I am wrong or right. 

Here is my issue when it comes to relationships.

I feel that putting another girl/guy above your girl/guy IS NOT OKAY. Unless it is your famjam, it is not okay. 

NO WAY HOSE. 

Hanging out with your friends (you see that letter 's'? It makes things plural) that are of the opposite sex is totally okay! Absolutely! I mean, girls have guy friends they chill with as well as guys with their girl friends. Really no big deal there. 

Neither partner would care, at least in my eyes, unless you are ambiguous. 

Now that you are hiding something, they do have something to worry about, or else why would you be hiding it? 

MEANING! Saying you are going to hang out with a "friend" ALONE that your girl/guy does not know who they are IS NOT OKAY. 

Why are you ALONE with the opposite sex that your partner does not know about and why are you not being completely honest?? 

Better question. Why are you alone with the opposite sex, on basically a date, when you have a partner?

You okay with your partner being with someone else of the opposite sex that you don't know? Alone? 

REALLY THINK ABOUT IT. Why did you not tell your partner that you were going to be with "Vanessa", or with "Zack"???

Interesting how that plays out, eh? Seems like you have the ulterior motive.

Just some food for thought. 

It is simple to be honest. Simple to be straight up. Consider your partner more often, and consider how you'd feel if it were reversed.

Honesty & selflessness is what will lead to a good relationship. 

Maybe if you gave it a shot, you'd know that. 

Shay

PS enjoy my Canadianism.

The Treat of Easter: You Are Not Alone

There are days when we wake up with this heavy feeling in our heart. There are days when a thick cloud of darkness follows you around all day. 

To put it simply, there are hard days. There is no escape from this reality.

Sometimes the days are so hard that we cannot fight it alone. We think that if that one person, whether a lover, best friend, parent, or whoever was there -- everything would be alright. For whatever reason, they cannot be there. They can't be there to hold you as your voice trembles and your body shakes. They cannot be there to confirm that things will be alright. 

In essence, you feel all alone. 

That was me recently, but I know you have felt that too. I tried to fight this type of emptiness on my own. No matter my efforts, this pain would not leave me alone. I knew what to do, so why wasn't I doing it? 

I humbled myself, and got onto my knees. I offered a prayer to my Heavenly Father. As I explained to Him the feelings that plagued my soul, I felt the pressure on my chest lessen. I continued on until I felt a smile stretch across my face. 

How could I feel this way when I have so much to be grateful for? How could I allow myself to wait this long to pray to my Father in Heaven to remove this gross feeling from me? 

Whatever the reason, it does not matter. What matters is that I turned to the Lord in my time of need, though it may seem small in comparison to a lot of other trials, but is that not beautiful? My small petty problems are, in fact, problems to Him too. The best part is that I have a Saviour who knows how to comfort me in those times and so do you. 

Hear me out, dear readers, you are not alone. Look heavenward. There is a Heavenly Father watching over you and He truly knows your situations. You and I have a Saviour who knows every discomforting emotion we feel, and He knows how to heal us. 

The trick is to let Him. 

"Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he [or she] that asketh, receiveth; and unto him [or her] that knocketh, it shall be opened" (3 Nephi 27:29)

Shay