Feeling Loved

Have you ever taken that quiz that tells you what your love language is? (If you take it, I'd love to hear your results!) I never had, because I understand myself pretty well in that regard. But I decided to take it in order to confirm what I thought I knew. I figured my lowest score would be physical touch, and I was right. (In fact, on the quiz it accounted for only one point out of 30.) My highest was receiving gifts, which was a mere one point ahead of words of affirmation and acts of service. I've always known that I loved giving gifts to show love, but I didn't realize how much they meant to receive until this week. 

I spent the weekend in California at a conference for the J. Reuben Clark Law Society. It was a great experience, but what made the weekend even more fantastic was getting to visit and stay with Adiel. While I was there, she gave me a bunch of makeup and earrings that she doesn't use. I felt bad taking it all, as much as I wanted it, but she insisted. At the end of the trip I realized I had scored big. Just looking at it all felt like true love, but that could simply be because I was looking at earrings and makeup. Add a purse and it's literally my idea of Heaven.

 While I was in California, Jamie text me to ask if I had gotten a package. A FedEx door tag had been left on my building door the day I flew out, but they had marked several boxes and I couldn't understand what had happened. Jamie said it looked like the package had been delivered, so I called my apartment office and confirmed that they had accepted the package from FedEx. I wasn't expecting a package from Jamie, so I was excited! Turns out she spoiled me and sent a combined Christmas/Birthday present in the form of a new pair of Toms!

 To add even more fun to the story, when I returned to Omaha and stopped by the office to grab Jamie's package, they originally handed me a package with a different return address from what I was expecting. It was from the DeMouxs! Melissa is a dear friend of mine from Utah. She's to thank, in large part, for getting me through last semester. It was uncanny how on the loneliest days, I would return home to find a letter from her in the mailbox. I'm a terrible person that never made the time to write her back, yet she cared enough to keep sending them. But this time her return address wasn't on an envelope. It was on a soft, squishy package. I couldn't wait to find out what was inside!

Last month, Melissa posted about some new throw pillows. I was especially enamored with one, and I told her so. Okay, I did more than that. I sort of threatened to come to her house and steal it. So, naturally, being the incredible super-human woman that she is, Melissa undertook to make me a pillow.

I cried when I saw what she had done. I laughed when I read her letter, encouraging me to forgo a life of crime. I smiled when I thought of all the people that love me. I'm so grateful for Adiel, Jamie, and Melissa who most recently affirmed the fact that I have people that care for me and are looking out for me. But I'm also grateful to all of you that so frequently show your love for me that I too often fail to recognize.

So, thank you. All of you.