Love Letter #1

This is going to be way more embarrassing than I anticipated. I'm not sure why I agreed to this! Happy love month, everyone! The following letter was written on December 21, 2003

Elder Blair Willis,

Merry Christmas!! Wake up, Blair! Let’s go open our presents! Oh, look. You have a package from . . . oh . . . it’s from me! Merry Christmas! I love you, sweetheart. I must explain the reasoning behind the gifts: One of the most beautiful things about true friendship is that sometimes we can see glimpses of the eternal nature of each other, even when we cannot see it in ourselves. I see so much of what you are and what you will become. I’m so proud to be your friend. Thank you for helping me, even when you’re gone, to see what I may be. I often look at the beautiful picture you drew for me on my birthday, and it inspires me to remember what I can be. Thank you. Here is a sketch pad. When you have a moment or two, draw what you see. You have a rare gift—an ability to portray, such deep feelings with mere charcoal and paper. I hope you continue to cultivate this gift.

My heart was moved with compassion as I pondered your current plight. I didn’t realize that your economic status is so low that you cannot afford paper to write a letter to your dearest of friends! :) he he Luckily, I’ve included a bit of stationary to solve this problem. You poor lad . . . I hope you don’t have to use this cardboard box for a tub or anything. Let’s see, what else does Santa have for you? Oh yes, a picture of you and that girl who’s in love with you. I ran across this wonderful little book a few weeks ago. I send it to you in hopes that you may remember the tender mercy and love of our Heavenly Father and His son. Last of all are some sunflower seeds. I don’t know who this “David” man is or where he gets these seeds, but I know they make your taste buds do a square dance. Enjoy, my friend. Enjoy.

Alright, forgive me but I just have to say it . . . How in San Pete are you?!!! Have you had a wonderful holiday season? It’ll probably be St. Patrick’s Day by the time this box crawls to your hands. So tell me, how was your Christmas? How was talking to your family? How are the families doing that you’re teaching? Are you having very much success? Do you know what a secret wish of mine is? To sit in the room while you and your companion give a discussion. I gave the first discussion to a friend for Sharing the Gospel the other day and all I could think of afterward was how much I wanted to see you do the same. Gee golly Miss Molly I know you’re doing great! Keep up the good work and let me know what I can do for you.

I have so much that I want to tell you. I hardly know where to begin. We’ll start with what occupies most of my thoughts and time: seminary. Gosh there are so many stories! I don’t’ know how to fit them in a letter. I had kind of a scary experience last week. Becka, one of my special needs students, is about four feet tall—a little pudgy girl that bursts into class with a smile on her face. She has never caused a problem in class. The biggest disruption she makes is laughing for five minutes after someone says something funny, or the occasional passing of gas during class.

I was shaking everyone’s hands at the door as they left for the bus after class when I noticed that Becka was still sitting at her desk. I told her that we needed to go out to the bus and her partner tried to prod her to get up. I looked over at her as she started hitting herself and banging her face on the desk. She hit her mouth extremely hard, which caused her mouth to bleed all over. She kept hitting her head repeatedly as I rushed over to help. I stood behind her and grabbed her arms. I wrapped them around her and pulled her body close to mine and whispered in her ear. She stopped struggling and just cried. I cleared off the blood and took her back over to the school. I don’t know how I’m ever going to be a mom. It was the hardest thing for me to conceal the lump in my throat and the salty tears welling up in my eyes. It made me so sad to see her hurt. I sat with her as we waited for her mom back at school. She can barely speak, but she kept saying how sorry she was. It broke my little heart. Her mom came and we talked for a while. She said sometimes Becka just gets frustrated or upset and lashing out like she did is the only way that she can communicate her emotion. It was quite a day. I cried the whole way home.

On a more chipper note, let me tell you about what I’m learning from these amazing spirits. We were talking about the true meaning of Christmas the other day. I told my class about a friend of mine that I often take home from work. I told them how I had just found out that this woman has next to nothing and certainly won’t have much of a Christmas. In the middle of my story, I looked at the sad look on Nate’s face. He raised his hand and in the most sincere voice begged to know a way that he could help her. I told him I would let him know if I found a way that he could help. Well, the subject was not mentioned for a couple of weeks. The last day of school before the Christmas break rolled around and Nate wasn’t in class that day, but he walked in the door toward the end of class with a bag in his hand full of lunch money he'd saved up. He quietly said, “Here Sister Holding. This is for that lady.” I’ve never felt so overwhelmed. I couldn’t talk. There weren’t very many dry eyes in the room that day. I learned a great deal about charity that day. Here was a boy with countless problems of his own who couldn’t bear the thought of a complete stranger going without.

Dating life is hilarious! As always . . . I’m a weirdo magnet. It makes for good stories and great entertainment though. There’s an eighteen-year-old football player on my tail. He was in one of my classes this semester. He looked me up on “stalker net” and called my mom and asked for my phone #. To make a long story short, I had to break the lad’s heart. Other than that, I’ve had numerous hilarious dating experiences. I’ve met a few good friends and had fun though. It has been fun.

Well, I apologize for babbling on about myself for so many pages. I just miss talking to my pal and this is how we have to do it for now. I love it though. Does it feel like you’ve been on your mission for seven months? Time sure has flown by! Treasure every moment, my friend. You only get this chance once. I hope that you’ve had a very merry Christmas. I love you and I’m thinking about you. I’ll be praying for you.

Take care,

Love,

Ashley