I looked in the mirror today...

I looked in the mirror today. I didn't see what I expected to see. No, I didn't have an especially bad case of chickenpox or shiny nose. The fact is, I'm different. A year ago, I was in no way near the person I am today. So many factors have contributed to this that I don't know where to start. A year ago, I was struggling to finish my senior year without succumbing to senioritis. I was unsure of myself; I didn't feel confident in decisions I made without input from my parents. Chronically self conscious, I know I didn't love myself like I do now.

So much has happened in the past year. I graduated. (Thank heaven.) I planned and had international adventures with my mother and siblings while my dad was deployed. I moved into two apartments by myself. I made hundreds of new friends and not just on Facebook. I actually had a calling in Relief Society before I even turned 18. I got hired! I finished a year of college. I stayed hired! I had my trials. I lost friends. I was left behind. I got hurt. But that isn't the point. I'm not sorry for anything. Everything I experienced has turned me into who I am today. Most importantly, it helped me grow closer to my Heavenly Father.

An essential part of being independent is realizing that you can't do anything alone. We rely on the grace of our Heavenly Father for everything. He blessed us with life and there is no possible way we can get through this refining journey without His comfort and guidance. I know that in both my most wonderful and my most difficult moments, He was always beside me. He is beside me now.

Today, I looked in the mirror and saw a strong, smart, beautiful, confident, independent daughter of God. I don't mind if no one else sees me that way. In fact, I know many don't. I don't say those things to be cocky or prideful. My point is that it is important that I see myself that way and KNOW that this is how my Heavenly Father has always seen me.

This personal epiphany brought me another realization. Heavenly Father sees everyone this way. Everyone has beauty. Even the weakest of us has strength. Every one of us was given specific gifts by our Heavenly Father. Part of our job on earth is to recognize and exemplify those gifts in the service of others. Moreover, we need to strive to see each other in this divine light. Only then can we understand the pure love of Christ, which is unconditional and all-encompassing. In Les Miserables, Victor Hugo's protagonist Jean Valjean says, "To love another person is to see the face of God." When we fully understand our worth in Heavenly Father's eyes, we are able to see others as He does. When we see others as He does, our love for Him is magnified as we realize that although we are nothing compared to Him, we are everything to Him.