I live with my best friends, so that I am never alone.
Ironically, I always find myself sitting in our dark living room staring at my laptop.
My day off is inconveniently always on Tuesday, who's day off is Tuesday!? NO ONE'S. Needless to say, I spend a lot of lonely Tuesdays looking for entertainment and waiting for my friends to get off work.
This last Tuesday was especially lonely for me. The world lost a great man and I lost a long-time friend, less than 24 hours earlier. Death is always a surreal experience for me, and luckily, I haven't had to deal with it very often in my life. While sitting in my cave-like living room, a flood of memories quickly came to me as I reflected on this young man's life. My earliest memories of Brian go back to a ward activity on a cold December night in the Santaquin 1st Ward. The holidays were approaching quickly, and there were families in need all around us. I think that maybe it's a small-town thing, but every year growing up our ward took a "hay-ride" around the neighborhood, delivering carols and fruit baskets to the homes of families in need of comfort. I was about 5 and in love with Brian's oldest brother, Andrew, who was probably 15 at the time. Anywho, Brian was 2 years older than me, and belted the Christmas carols. I remember watching him and thinking he was crazy, but wanting to sing louder anyways.
14 years later, he returned from serving a full-time LDS mission in Georgia, with the same kind of warm enthusiasm he displayed that cold winter night so long ago. Not only was he completely full of life, but completely gorgeous and all grown up as well. He loved the gospel and shared it with everyone, and if his testimony didn't leave me enthralled, his face sure did.
That boy showed me the light in the darkest time of my life. His solid example and the blinding light of his spirit chalked a line that I knew I needed to walk on.
I will eternally be grateful for the influence that Brian had on my testimony, and the courage he gave me to share it.
So, on Tuesday, after I settled for being filled with good memories with my friend, I decided I needed a pick-me-up. I remembered a recommendation for a book that a friend has given me numerous times, and decided I would go find it.
I got in my little red car, drove through the college-town traffic, and ended up at Deseret Book.
I found my book, and haven't put it down once. Besides to start this blog.
The book is called "Heaven is Here", and the Author is my newest hero.
Stephanie Nielson is the most inspiring woman I have ever, in my life, read about. I am in LOVE with her story. She has left me laughing, SOBBING, aching for true love, missing my own mom and family and completely, undoubtable sure of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When Stephanie started blogging, she referred to her posts as a "message in a bottle" because she didn't know who would find them, but wanted to share. I absolutely loved it, and wanted to post my own little messages, too.
So, to whomever may find these words,
My name is McKell Tew.
I love my life, and I can't wait to share it with you.
Each day that I am reminded of my blessings, I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for all of my opportunities and each person in my life.
I believe that the most attractive feature in a person is happiness, and one of my favorite things to do is laugh.
The most important person in life should be the person standing in front of you at any given time
and the most important thing to do is love.
Oh, and check out Stephanie's blog. And read her book. It will change you :)
me, and madison laughing for nothing in particular on the 4th of July at my life-long favorite restaurant, la casita.
