Had a bad day...I bet it wasn't as bad as you think

      The furnace is broken and I am sitting in my freezing house all curled up in a ball under a blanket near the fire, contemplating my blessings.
       I am sure that people who read my blog or Facebook updates or if you are around me a lot are probably sick of how positive I can be. You probably think, “My gosh! Doesn’t this girl ever have a bad day?” or “I think that smile is permanently stuck on her face.” or “She can’t be human.” Well, I hate to break it to you but I am. I am as human as the next person. Throw everything you ever knew about Erika out the window.
      Things have been rough for me but things have also been good. I won’t go into all the details because some of it is personal. As much as I loved volunteering for ILP, I wish it was an actual job. I made no money while I was there. So I have absolutely no money now and I don’t get paid for another week. Getting paid once a month really blows! And on top of that, my car broke down two weeks after I got home. I finally got it fixed! Two days later it stopped working. And now my house feels like it is the same temperature as it is outside! And let’s not forget all the things I decided to leave out of this blog.
Despite everything that is going on, there are still so many good things happening. One of them is that I am reunited with my old roommate, Annika. She helps me to be the best person ever. And if you think I am positive, you clearly haven’t met this lady. She is like me….but magnified! To say the least…we get along very well.
      Another blessing is that I got a long term sub job at Andrus Elementary working as an assistant. I get along very well with my coworkers and students. I am beginning to feel like a regular there. They even asked me to come back next month. They don’t want me to leave for school. They are fun. My students are pretty independent so I get to spend my time daydreaming of my own classroom. I am excited for that day. I taught the students how to make paper snowflakes and one of my students is now obsessed with making them. That is all he ever wants to do. I created a snowflake monster…or so he says.
      I can still work even though I don’t have a car. My parents have been so generous and selfless as to pick me up to and from work everyday. They don’t have to but they are so willing. And I am very grateful for my parents. We may not always get along but I love them. They deserve all the good things they can get.  
      I also get to be with four of my most favorite people: Kaeden, Gwen, Alyson, and Dax. Of all the roles I have been given, daughter, sister, friend, employee, student, etc, being an aunt is my favorite role. When I count my blessings, they are the first four I count because they have changed my life.
      Another thing that is wonderful is church. I liked being in a family ward while in Ukraine. I thought of continuing it when I came home. I decided to go to my singles ward since I am single and within that age bracket. And I am happy that I made that decision. I am with my friends and my bishop takes good care of me. He even said the words, “we’ll take care of you.”And I feel that he honestly meant every single word. There was so much love behind it.
      I have accumulated a lot of knowledge and a little bit of wisdom over my 25 years on this earth. I may be young but we can learn from everyone despite their age. And so if there is one thing you take away from reading this blog, I hope it is that no matter how bad your day is, there is always some good in it. So if you have a bad day,  count your blessings. Search of the good things that did happen. And I bet that it isn't has bad as you think.