Weeks 85 and 86 - What I am Grateful for...

This last week I have had a pretty persistent cold, which has kept me in bed for the past two days. Two birthdays in a row haha... so I have had time to think. Here is what my email is.

What I am grateful for:

I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for my father who would take me out on walks in the hills and would teach me how to tell time with looking at the sun, who would take me on camping trips and stay up late with me and play video games or watch movies with me. He would pick me up from friends’ houses at unreasonable hours. I am grateful for him loving me unconditionally even when I made mistakes. He had so much patience with me when I honestly deserved a good smacking. He would hold me when I cried, and would come to all my sporting games. He above all is a good dad, who never ever wanted the spotlight, but always pushed it on me. He taught me to love God, and all will work out who trusted me enough to watch me walk away from beliefs I held dear to the point where I came back and went on a mission. 

I am grateful for my mom, who literally sacrificed every waking moment of her adult life into bettering my life, and my sibling’s lives and others. She would come up with the most extravagant birthdays imaginable. She would sleep outside of Walmart in the cold, so her stupid son could get an xbox 360 for Christmas. She would push me to my limits, so I could know my limits, but also know that I can push for higher limits, that my best could be better. She taught me that honesty is better than promotion. She taught me if I gave it my all, then I could be happy with that. She taught me that truth and everything good is better than what ever pleasure the other side could offer me. She taught me that racial barriers and whatever stood in my way were nothing. She would hold me when I was a little kid, and who I could always count on to champion my cause. I am grateful for my mom for the things I know she has done for me and things I don't know she has done for me.

I am grateful for my siblings. They as a whole have been my pride and joy of my life. Jacob has always been there in the sense of presence and on my mind. He has always been my little brother and my inspiration. He has been the guy who brings me down to earth, and in a sense, he has always been my go to play mate. Cassie for her humor, for her criticisms and her skepticisms, and everything that God has endowed to her. She has always been the humor that I needed when I least expected it. She is braver than I ever was.  I am grateful for her riding the roller coasters with me, for doing everything. Jared for being my mini me, for being strong in hard times when he didn’t want to be strong. He always, without fail, emailing me and just being the bear of the family. For Caitlin, ah man she is the princess, and always reminds me I need to be more well behaved. I thank her for also being brave. I could write a page about what I am grateful for with my siblings, but I can't, because I don't have time. 

I am grateful for my friends. All of them. I can't name everyone, but I will name off a few. Mckay, Miles, Troy , Jalon, Andrew and Pickles, etc. every one of my friends has held me to the highest standard in all my conduct. They have been there for me in my darkest moments, and each one has influenced me into what I am today. I am grateful for their families. I am grateful for everything they give me, and how they have let me into their homes against their better judgment in there gut. I am grateful for that very much. 

I am grateful for heroes, who ever they may be in my eyes. Brandon Curtis, Cody Towse, Veterans, Firefighters, Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, JFK, Abraham Lincoln, my mom and dad and whoever else might be a hero to me. Heroes inspire me. 

I am grateful for this church even though I don’t have the best testimony, and at times I want to leave, because I dislike the rules, or something else. I find that if people live the gospel, they are happy. I am grateful the hope it offers mankind in general. I am grateful for the leaders, who have inspired me, who have always been there for me. Bret Nelson, Chivers Cutler, Grasseley. There are a lot of people who have been there for me. I am grateful for what Joseph Smith claimed to have seen, and what he did. I am grateful for the idea of God.

I am grateful for my doubts. I am grateful for my ever questioning mind. As weird as that may sound, it keeps me sane. I am grateful that I have these fears, and have this longing to figure out everything, because if I didn't, I would be an awful human being. I am grateful for my mission president who though even with all my short comings loves me. 

I am grateful for challenges that we have because it gives us chances to overcome them.

Elder Buhler