Lose Yourself in Service

            This post, I am going to write a little differently. I am writing as if I were to a young woman in my ward. Please bear with me because I promise it does hold true to doctrine about service.

Dear Emma,

            Thank you for sticking around me for the last three years. I know this last couple of months have been hard on you and will be for a couple more as me and Aleah are going away to college, but I want to let you know what YOU did for me.
             When you were an incoming beehive, I decided to get to know you. Not just because you had no friends in young women's yet or looked lonely. I decided to become your friend for selfish reasons. I think we had been talking about service. We talked about how a person could find themselves through serving others. True joy can be found when man loses himself in service for the Lord rather than for man.
            I was lonely and had been feeling lonely myself. I was struggling with what to say to my friends. I didn't feel like I was really, truly their friend anymore and at the time I didn't have a lot of friends to begin with, so when I looked around the room and found that you were all by yourself, it was really a blessing for me. Because even though I asked you the most random and sometimes nosy questions and would follow you around till I got a satisfactory answer, you always answered. I don't know if it was because you were quiet and liked having another person to talk to or that you really did like having me around, but I'm glad you didn't get mad at me for sticking to you.
            What I learned from being friends with you, was that what we learn about service is true. I found myself because I served you by becoming your friend. I learned that if someone was willing to dedicate their life to just being someone's friend, they can find happiness.
              I am truly going to miss you. You brighten my life up a little more every time I see you. You have been a bright light to me when I have felt my light dim. I love you. I love being your friend and I can't wait to see the adventures you'll have along the way. Please don't forget that I will always be just a phone call away because you have become one of my best friends. You are one of the best friends anyone could wish to have. You are kind, compassionate and loving. You are always looking out for others.
            Keep being awesome. "You are you and that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." and don't forget it.

Love,
Emily