So lately, I've just been thinkin about people.

"Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" that's a quote by Marjorie Pay Hinkley and those are the words that I hear when I meet people now. Not just when I meet someone but when I'm checking out in the grocery store, when I'm being waited on at a restaurant or just anywhere at any encounter. Lately I have been taking the time to just treat those people like they are significant because they are. I will ask how they are and actually care instead of asking to only be polite. There is so much to find out about the people around us. So many funny and sad stories. So many memories they have of a different times and places. The old lady at walmart who was married many years ago but lost her love when the airplane that he was piloting crashed over a field of crops. The lady who made it to work at a local fast food restaurant during one of the snow days. You could tell that she's had a hard life and has worked very hard for the better part of it and will most likely work long hours on her feet for many more years to come and will still not be able to live a comfortable life. She was getting ready to say goodbye to her youngest son who is leaving for his third tour in Afghanistan. She had tears in her eyes when I thanked her for her service to this country and let her know that being the mother of a Marine is no small job. The old man who remembers America the way it used to be when people were different and America still manufactured things and the words "made in China" meant it was junk. The way things were before the Internet and credit cards. When working hard to provide for your family was the ultimate American Dream. The funny thing that I wasn't expecting is that I have changed because of it. Last night when I went to Braum's after dinner to get ice cream for the family there was a really long line and only one lady working the counter and the register. A lady who I know is a single Mom and instead of getting annoyed at how long it was taking, a thought came to my mind: Wow, I bet she is always really tired when she gets home form work. I bet she's too tired to spend fun time with her kids and clean the kitchen. The next thought that I had was how thankful I am for my comfortable life and my sweet family. Thankful that I have a husband who loves and provides for the needs of our family and enables us to have a comfortable and happy life. Thankful that I don't have to go to bed with sore feet and a worn out body and wonder if I made enough money to pay all the bills. Thankful I can wake up and play with my kids and clean our house. So why does any of this matter? It matters to me because I feel like humanity is drifting apart, like we find it hard to relate to each other. It seems like witnessing the suffering of others is easier because we aren't connected to one another anymore. When I was 20, I read an article that named the three things that ruined America. 1. Fast Food 2. Air conditioning 3. TV. Those things ruined America because they took people away from each other. Dinners weren't being eaten together as a family anymore. Before airconditioning and tv people sat outside in the evening to cool off and talk. I feel like people needed each other more then. If someone was in need they were taken care of by their neighbors or their church, not the government. They didn't have all the stuff to keep them occupied, things like internet, tv, video games. I also think I could add a few more things to the list that ruined America but that's for another day....

So what am I going to do about it? I don't know just yet. For now, I guess I will do my part to make things better and I will pray and promise to serve others with love and compassion as my savior Jesus Christ did.