15. Conclusion

The time has come for this blog to come to an end. It's the big conclusion, the big "see ya later".

I've always loved blogging and I truly relished in this experience to keep up my own blog. It really is a great way to release your thoughts and is a calming thing to do during your day.

One thing that I have learned from blogging is that I can improve my writing skills through practicing each day. Which is one thing that this blog is good for. However, the most important thing that I have learned from blogging is that I can make a difference.

Like we learned from Elder Bednar's "Flood the Earth" talk, the world is needing positive content in its social media platforms. We, as members of the church and human beings, can be that positive instigator that the world needs. I really tried to keep most of my posts pretty positive and I realized that, through that, I can make a difference. I can make a bright spot in someone else's life and on their monitor.

So, I am really happy that I was able to participate in this blogging project because, not only was I able to exercise my writing skills on a daily basis, I felt that I was able to shed some light in a dark world and create a bright spot for people around me. I hope that, through blogging and your social media, that you can help make a bright spot too.

Together we can make a difference through spreading a positive impact in this otherwise dreary world.

14. The Ellen Show

When I think about a "Bright Spot", one of the things I automatically think about is The Ellen Show. For those who don't know, I absolutely love Ellen Degeneres. I think she is an amazing human being and she will always be one of my idols.

I don't admire her because she is a celebrity or because she has a really entertaining talk show, I admire her because she is a kind human being. No matter who she comes into contact with, she is always kind. She even ends her show every time by saying "be kind".

I love everything she stands for and I think that every person should aspire to be the kind of human being that Ellen is. If more people kept the phrase "be kind" in their mind, I think we could avoid a lot of wars, angry people, fights, and divorces. We really could change the world if we could all just learn to be kind.

So my word of wisdom today is to be kind. Make your own bright spot and be kind to those around you. The guy who honked at you? Be kind and give a friendly wave. The homeless man begging for money? Be kind and spare a few bucks. Your annoying sibling that won't leave you alone? Be kind and give him your attention.

Just be kind.

13. The Christmas Ornament

Flashback to August. My husband and I were on our honeymoon. We decided to spend our honeymoon on a cruise ship that left out of New Orleans and headed to the countries of Honduras, Belize, and Mexico.

Our first stop was the beautiful country of Honduras. After a fun day of zip-lining through the rainforest, we decided to stop in one of the tourist gift shops to get a souvenir to bring home. As we browsed through the plethora of trinkets and goofy tee-shirts, I noticed that they had Christmas ornaments with the word "Honduras" intricately carved on the side. I turned to my new husband and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! That's perfect! I have the best idea. What if we collect a different ornament from every country we go to? We could make it a tradition!" He enthusiastically agreed. After purchasing the ornament, we boarded the ship and headed to our next destination -- Belize.

We had pre-paid for all of our excursions online before coming on the trip in order to save the hassle of carrying a bunch of cash around. We left the ship that morning with only about $40 to use for food and souvenirs. That's all we needed, or so we had thought.

A bus picked us and the rest of our group up to take us to the infamous Belize caves for a day of cave tubing. It was a total blast, but after boarding the bus to head back to the boat we ran into some trouble. The man started coming down the aisle to collect money from the day's activities. I was starting to get worried because I noticed that every single person on the bus was paying him cash. When the man finally approached us, I explained that we had already paid online. He informed us that the online system had shut down 5 years ago and there was no way we could have paid online.

Luckily, the man found out that it was our honeymoon and told us to just pay him what cash we had ($40) and he would cover the rest. I handed him all of our cash, just relieved at the fact that we were not arrested or in huge trouble. My husband and I were talking about how dumb we were and how it was sad that we could not get our ornament from this country.

I was surprised when a young family next to us overheard our conversation and kindly offered to give us $20 to use to buy the ornament. I turned them down, not wanting to take their money, but I thanked them for their kindness.

We left Belize that day, a little sad that we didn't keep our new tradition, but we decided that we would find a Belize ornament online instead.

A few days later, we were walking around the ship when a young mom started yelling "wait!" at us. We were confused, but stopped to talk to this woman. She quickly explained that she had been on our bus and had heard what happened to us. She felt bad for us and so she decided to buy us an ornament at the gift shop. She said that she wasn't sure if she would run into us again, but she thought she would take a chance. I fought back tears as I took the ornament and gave her a huge hug.

While this world is becoming more and more terrifying each day, it's amazing to know that there are good people still out in the world, proving that the world is still a great place.

12. Family....Isn't it about...Time?

Most people who grew up in the LDS church probably remember this popular phrase from an LDS advertisement that used to play on BYU Radio and TV. Lately, it's been stuck in my head as I go throughout my day.

Family....Isn't it about....Time? Thinking back to growing up in Missouri, I often get very homesick. I think about all of the fun memories that my family created together. I remember being annoyed a lot of the time because, at the time, I had wanted to be with friends rather than with my family. Looking back, I don't remember as many memories with my friends as I do with my family. Now that I'm married, I realize how valuable time with your family is because, once you're married, it all changes.

I am grateful that I am married to a wonderful man, but often times I look back and miss those times with my family. However, it has only made me excited for the future with our own children. One of my goals as a mother is to ensure that our family does many fun things together and builds traditions that my children will remember for a lifetime.

All in all, the most important thing we have in this life is time. Especially time with our family.

11. Expecto Patronum

If you've seen the Harry Potter movies or read the books, you know that the "Expecto Patronum" spell is a spell meant to ward off dementors by producing a happy animal spirit that scares them away. The way to produce this spell is to think of a really happy thought as you shout these words with your magical wand.

Although we are all muggles and don't have the privilege of actually casting spells, I often think about what my happiest moment would be in this situation. As this blog is called "The Bright Spot", I found it fitting to contemplate my thoughts on this platform.

One of my very favorite memories, and probably one of my absolute happiest, was the day I received my acceptance letter from BYU. What you might not know about me is that I have been obsessed with going to BYU since I was in the third grade and found out what BYU was. For years I had dreamed about going to this place and couldn't wait for my letter to come in the mail. But things don't always work out the way you want them to.

In February of my senior year, I received a rejection letter from BYU.

I was crushed and felt so defeated. However, I decided that I wouldn't give up. I decided to attend Snow College for a year, where I managed to get all A's, make the Dean's List, and reapply to BYU. I really didn't think I was going to get in because I wasn't technically considered a transfer student yet.

I was wrong. Once I received the email, I immediately began sobbing. I couldn't stop sobbing because I was so intensely happy. All of my hard work and dedication had paid off. I was going to the school of my dreams. Thinking about that moment still gives me the chills because it was truly the essence of someone's dreams coming true.

So, yes, I think that if I ever get promoted to being a witch, that memory would definitely be my happy memory of choice in conducting the Expecto Patronum spell. And probably my wedding day too.

10. Wonder

I recently had the opportunity to see the new movie, "Wonder". Let me tell you, every person in this world needs to see this beautiful film.

It is all about a young boy who was born with a face deformity and has been homeschooled his whole life until his mom decides that he should try out middle school. The boy is bullied by a group of kids and has a hard time adjusting at first. However, there are a few kids who quickly step up and show the boy kindness and friendship. At the end of the film, the boy has many friends and cries tears of happiness for his new life at middle school.

I was so touched by this movie because it is a reminder to all of us of the necessity of kindness in this world. No matter what, we need to be kind. The whole message of the movie was "be kind, for everyone is fighting their own battle". As human beings, and especially as Latter Day Saints, we need to step up and show kindness all the time, especially when other people are not.

If everyone did what these kind children did in the movie, the world would slowly become a happier and kinder place to be.

9. Gratitude.

It is that time of the year. The time of year when a ton of assignments are due, Christmas activities are beginning, and I am itching to be done with the semester.

Don't get me wrong, I love school and I especially love BYU, but I am tired. This semester has worn me out and it makes my brain even more tired knowing that I still have at least 2 more years left of school.

However, this class has really been a joy for me. I love English and I've loved having Sister Steadman as a professor. This class helps my tired soul feel a little happier as I go to class.

One of my favorite projects that we have done so far this semester has been the collaborative argument project. My group and I are doing the Top 5 Utah Roadtrips and it has been a fun assignment to participate in.

I guess the point of this blog post is ultimately a gratitude post. We just finished Thanksgiving and I am reflecting on all I have to be grateful for. BYU is at the top of my list. I am grateful I get to go to such an outstanding school with great people and professors. I am also grateful for this class. It really has been a fun class and I'm grateful for all I've gotten to learn this semester.

So, even when you're tired and ready for this semester to end, always remember that there is something to be grateful for.

8. Young & Married

About 3 months ago, on a sunny day in August, I took the plunge and decided to become Mrs. Tate. Let me tell you, it was both the scariest and the happiest decision I ever made. Coming from a state where most people don't get married until they are 30, I did find myself receiving a lot of criticism from people back home.

But guess what? Their criticisms don't mean anything to me. I am happy. I am loved. I am exactly where I want to be right now. Yes, I am 21 and still in school, but there really is no great place in life to be. Though being married does have its challenges, there are so so many positives to being married.

1. You get to share a cute little, run-down apartment with your best friend. 

- Emphasis on the "run-down" part, but that is what makes hilarious memories and helps you to appreciate the finer things in life later on. 

2. No matter what your mood is, there's always someone right there to make you feel better or celebrate your good day with you.

3. Your parents can't tell you what to do anymore. One morning we woke up and decided to go on a mini-vacation to Park City. We just got up, packed, and left. No one even knew where we were. It's awesome. 

4. Traditions! You get to make new traditions or implement your family's traditions with his family's traditions. We have already started a new tradition to get a Christmas tree ornament whenever we go on a vacation. 

5. More family to love. You get to keep your family, but you get even more family members (your in-laws) to love you and help you feel welcome. 

At the end of the day, I look at my sweet husband and I just feel so happy with my decision to make him my eternal best friend. Yes, I am 21 and married, but I am happier than ever.

7. The Bright Spot

I'm sure you're wondering where the name for my blog came from. Maybe not, but I am going to tell you anyway.

Way back in the early 2000's, when I was just a young kid, there was a cute little ice cream shop in Manti, Utah called The Bright Spot. Being from Missouri, my family only visited my grandparents once a year, every summer, in Manti. If you've ever been to Manti, you probably know that it is a very small farming town with very little to do.

However, when you're a little kid, you can almost always find something to do. The Bright Spot quickly became our "something to do" as kids visiting Manti for the summer. My brothers and I would gather our cousins and we would all run down the street to get an ice cream cone at this happy place. The owner knew our dad and grandparents really well and so he was always very nice to us and made us feel super welcome.

Like that jolly ice cream place, I wanted this blog to be a reflection of joy because our world is becoming a dark place that needs more bubbly happiness. So, through this blog, I hope that you can find your "Bright Spot" and enjoy the many stories that I will share.

6. Self-Worth

Self Worth. It's a touchy subject for lots of people. Especially girls. Especially me.

Growing up, I always struggled with this. I felt like I was almost fighting a daily battle just to love myself and think I was beautiful. Once I started dating my now-husband, I felt my confidence sky-rocket and I felt like the most beautiful woman every single day. I don't know if that was just the "twitterpatted" phase or what, but it was a good time of life. I still feel confident, but I have recently noticed these old feelings of decreased self worth creeping back into my life. However, instead of letting it eat at me, I recently decided to stand up and fight against these feelings.

Through lots of prayer and scripture reading, I have battled these feelings through truly gaining a testimony that I am a daughter of God. Let me tell ya, this makes all the difference. I just want to tell all the girls out there that you are loved. God loves you and so do many other people. You are beautiful in so many eyes, even if your own eyes don't see it. Never let some lame thought put you down because you are better than that.

You are a royal daughter of God who is destined for great things. Never forget it.

5. Ryan Hamilton

Recently in class, we were shown a clip from Ryan Hamilton's newest Netflix comedy show. It was so hilarious and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good laugh. After watching this show, our professor challenged us to write a blog post about the rhetorical strategy behind this show. At first, I was stumped. "How does a comedian use rhetorical strategy? They are not convincing! They are just funny." However, I thought about this for a while and I realized that comedians are the prime example of using rhetorical strategy. They are convincing their audience members to laugh and agree with the things they are saying.

Throughout Ryan Hamilton's show, he makes references to New Yorkers and what life is like living in New York City. The reason why this was so funny to the audience and to anyone watching that has visited this city is because it was relatable. He used the rhetorical strategy of "pathos", which is to persuade using emotion, to get his audience to laugh. Through sharing experiences of frustration and humor, the audience was able to invoke their own personal feelings about that specific subject and it became relatable to them. At the end of the show, everyone was in tears from laughing so hard.

So, through this experience, I quickly learned that comedians are the prime example of how to use rhetorical devices to persuade their audience members.