MEMORIES OF LITA

Just recently I was going through some poems and papers that I have saved through the years and I came across a paper that Lita had written while in high school. If you read Lita's blog you can see the gift she has in expressing herself and her ideas and her feelings.I love watching movies with Lita because she always points out the symbolism and deepens my understanding. So today I want to share with you her high school paper and say thank you, Lita, for enriching my life with your wisdom and words.

There is a song from the musical "Into the Woods" that says, "Life is made up of moments." Some "moments" impact you more than others, but their importance is not greater than the "other" ones because you could not get to the big moments without the small ones. It would not be true to myself to just describe one experience because I have been impacted by many "moments."
I am Utah mountains, Arizona dust storms, Florida swamps and Georgia hills. I have not just learned geography, but I have lived it! I am lakes, deserts, Colombian coffee farms, and Mexican beaches. I am magnificent sunsets that paint the sky orange, purple,and red and dye the clouds pink. I am a delicate spring, a running-through-the-sprinklers summer, a crisp autumn morning, and an apple cider winter.
I am an American. I am Pat Benatar, Garth Brooks and "One More Day." I am a giggle from a child who has received doggy kisses for the first time and the happiness that comes from making the right choice. I am pictures that bring back memories or girls' camp, family vacations, and homecoming games. I am "The Great Gatsby", "Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and "To Kill a Mockingbird". I am road trips with seven people cramped into one van. I am singing in the rain, both literally and figuratively. I am a late night conversation with Ma after a date. I am French fries and fry sauce. I am nightmares of E.T. I am sharps, fermatas and quarter rests. I am early morning seminary. I am sno-cones on days where it is so hot that they melt before you can eat them and all you are left with is pina colada flavoring in a cup. I am a date to the circus. I am mashed potatoes and gravy. I am cowboy hats some days and dresses others. I am a piano lesson. I am a nap on the floor, lying in the sun that is streaming in through the window. I am a walk around the block with my dad. I am a jeep ride with hair dancing in the wind.
I am a witness of miracles. I am a chick hatching from an egg. I am an acceptance score for All-state chorus. I am a sister present for the birth of her fourth brother. I am a year and a half of unemployment. I am the recipient of a free trip to New York from someone who cared. I am the adrenaline rush and panic of seeing a fourteen-month-old brother fall three stories. I am the gratitude and love for the Lord after he came away without a scratch.
These moments are mine alone, yet many people can relate to them. I cherish all my moments and hope that I will be able to share and make more with others. Individually these moments would be common and lacking value, but when compiled together they created a person who has learned and wants to learn more. These moments are my life.