Thoughts from Women’s Conference

I got to attend BYU’s Women’s Conference over the weekend.  Some observations follow:

--BYU is a beautiful campus:  the buildings, the blossoms, the huge so-close-you-could-touch mountains, the feelings that’s here.  I feel lucky all of the time that I got to attend all those years ago.  I have lots of fun memories.

--There is so much variety, even among a bunch of American Mormon women.  I loved the different clothing styles, ages, conversations I overheard, groupings.  Variety and difference are beautiful.  Sometimes I forget that I/we all don’t need to act the same.  It’s our differences that makes this life experience rich and meaningful and lovely.

--Sometimes, even for a Type-A, follow-the-rules girl, like myself, skipping a class and going to lunch my mother in law and sister in law can be WAY more enriching than any old class would be.  Plus:  Kneaders.

--I have a problem:  while in the first class, “Ideals are Stars to steer by, not Sticks to beat ourselves with”, I literally had a knot in my stomach while I tried to pick the Absolutely Perfect lecture list for the next two days.  I was all anxious that I would miss The One that would make me Perfect.  I had to talk myself off the ledge and remind myself that it would be great, no matter what I picked and what I heard.  Sheesh.

--Also funny:  In the Avoiding the Time Traps of Technology class, I observed 1 woman texting on her phone during the opening prayer (yeah, yeah, my eyes were open…), 1 woman get up and leave when she got a call on her cell phones, and 2 women having a discussion about Angry Birds.  One of the best classes I went to, regardless of anyone’s technology addictions.

--Having two days of almost total alone time is really really nice sometimes.  I spent one segment between classes reading EVERY SINGLE PLAQUE next to the Minerva Teichert (one of my faves) paintings that line the walls of the Joseph Smith building.  (Downside:  you have to take pictures of yourself and that doesn’t usually work out so well).

--If you don’t have a friend at Women’s Conference…you better have a husband who doesn’t mind getting calls after every class, so that you can share all the brilliant things you are learning with SOMEBODY.

--It’s a good thing I’m a trained runner—getting into popular Women’s Conference classes requires it.  You should have seen me, literally, FULL-OUT 9 minute-mile running to get into NieNie and CJane’s class.  I kept ignoring the vision of my 36-year-old-tight-jean-leopard-print-flats self tearing through the campus with a bag bouncing across my back by telling myself a)You’ll never see these people you are passing again and b)when will you get a chance to see/hear those two in person again?  (TOTALLY worth it, btw—hilarious, interesting, spiritual).

--It was wonderful.  I really just spend the whole entire time feeling the abiding peace and joy of the Holy Ghost.  I felt personal promptings that including (mostly) affirmations that I’m doing just fine and (a little bit) ideas on how to improve.  I was reminded, through that Spirit, of the blessings that come from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and obedience to it.  It is thrilling to know what I know and have what I have and to be able to share it with my children and others. 

--I have returned home just a little bit better than when I left.