Blog Post #17: The Lazy Fisherman

Cantonese is a tonal language. That means that the pitch of your voice changes a word, and that the trajectory of your pitch changes it more. So, when you go from a no tone language to a tonal one, there are, naturally, some words that you also mess up. They can be small and inconsequential, or huge and embarassingly funny for everyone around you.

For example; I tell people I love to go fishing. The problem is that fishing and the Cantonese equivalent of "the F Word" have only very subtle sound and tone differences that escape me. I usually get it right, but I sometimes get 60% puzzled, 40% mortified-that-you-just-said-that-in-public looks when I say "fishing".

The word for "lazy" is low-level, and the vowel is the "aw" from an East Coast person's "lawn mower". I found out that low-falling with the "aw" from my "lawn mower" (think "awesome") is not quite profanity, but NOT a word you use in the Church gym to explain why you can't come play basketball.

I love learning!

I also love families! When people learn the Gospel as a family they feel the Spirit more. Why? Because the Gospel is centered on families! Like we sang in Primary "God gave us families/ To help us become what he wants us to be!" It's so true! I've talked before about how, through the lessons of early childhood, we learn Eternal truths and principles. So, when this amazing learning environment finds the Gospel being taught within it, miracles start exploding into existence! Not only that, but miracles start to happen more and more as you search harder for families!

That's why families are so important to the Church, why so many of my amazing young friends are getting married in the Temple, because we believe that Families can be together forever because Heavenly Father has given us the Plan of Happiness. We can experience the joy of a happy home for the rest of forever with the people we love!

There are many people I know who do not come from happy homes, and no one's family is perfect. That is why I share this Gospel; because I know that you can have a perfectly happy family for Eternity. 

That's why, even though a very close friend's grandfather just recently passed away, I am still happy. Sure, I'm going to miss talking about his time in the Army and being an Olympic Skiing coach and all his other great stories, but I know that he's happy now, that he's free from the pain that plagued him for so many years, and that before too long he'll be able to enjoy life again with a perfect body.

I'm excited for the day that Grandpa Bob gets to teach me how to ski.

I love you all, and to those who have lost family members, whether Grandpa Bob last month, Grandma Verda years ago, or your loving husband a decade ago, you are all in my prayers, always. Have a great week, everyone, and think Eternally.