Sometimes I really listen to my intuition and make smart decisions. And sometimes I am just stupid. This story is about one of the stupid times.

I’m sitting in a waiting room while one of my daughters has a procedure done. For the past twenty-three years, I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time waiting in doctors’ offices, for diagnoses, procedures, and surgeries to end.

It was mid-February, and I was in constant pain. My shoulder was in the process of freezing (adhesive capsulitis), and everything around it hurt.

I was sleeping terribly, up every couple of hours because of the pain. I had a hard time getting dressed, so I was often sporting the same baggy sweatshirt day after day.

Everyone knows someone who is easy to love, right?

But have you ever wondered why? What is it about them?

I did. I wondered about it A LOT. I used to think people like that were unicorns. They were a mystery.

In the spring of 2010, Brian and I were in the middle of making a huge decision—where he should take a job.

Wherever there is discord or contention, you can usually find someone warning (or holding a sign) about being on the wrong side of history. I think it is meant to be a persuasive tactic to change minds or opinions.

I find it absolutely ridiculous for a couple of reasons.

Years ago, Brian and I decided to go play tennis.

In my mind, it seemed like it would be a fun thing to do together. I had never played tennis before. Not really. I had barely stepped on a tennis court. Brian did say he had some lessons as a kid, but I had never seen him play.

It was going to be great.

My youngest son got a Rubik’s Cube a few weeks ago. He was so happy and carried it everywhere. After a couple of days, I noticed that he never really mixed up the cube. He’d move a few things here or there, but only enough that he could easily solve it again. On the third day, I asked him if I could scramble it. He handed me the cube.

I think my family chokes down some laughs when people learn I am a life coach. I’m almost positive I see a few rolled eyes.

I do hot workouts. Not hot like sexy—but I literally work out in 125-degree saunas. It’s hard and intense, and I love it. I’ve been doing this kind of workout for a year. Well, when my shoulder started hurting, I stopped going to the gym. I haven’t been consistent for the past few months.

Monday afternoon I went to Brian’s office and had him give me a PRP shot. PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, and it has been shown to produce collagen and growth factors, which promote stem cells and leads to faster healing. Sign me up! I’m all in for fixing my very painful right shoulder.

I’m pretty honest. Probably too honest, if you asked around.

Regardless, I’ll keep it real.

The week after Christmas we packed ourselves into the car and started driving to Utah. That drive is never fun, but winter adds a whole new element of excitement. We’ve hit a deer (well, I hit the deer), driven through snow and icy roads, and even plowed through blizzards that were blinding. This year was one of the bad ones and not just because of the weather.

Taking care of eyeglasses sounds pretty easy, but for my nine-year-old son, sometimes the task seems impossible.

I go to church every week.

I have responsibilities and things that I am asked to do. Occasionally, I get asked to be a substitute to teach a class. This happened a few years ago, and it was almost the worst experience of my life.

Long ago, when I lived in LA, I was a regular patron of the YMCA. I loved the group exercise classes. My favorite classes were the ones with tons of choreography and complicated moves—it felt like I was dancing again. As we learned a new combination, I noticed two different groups. One group never took their eyes off the instructor. Spinning, turning—the moves didn’t matter.

I was driving my mom to the airport in Texas. The weather forecast was for thunderstorms and possible tornados.

“Are you ready for Christmas?”

I’ve been asked this question a thousand times this week. Well, maybe not quite a thousand, but it’s a lot.

Here is the answer:

It was early fall in Utah, and the weather was still warm. Brian and I had plans to hike Mount Timpanogos with some friends. I was pregnant, about 10 weeks along, and no one knew besides the two of us. I’d never hiked this particular mountain but had heard it was difficult. Undaunted, we woke up early and started hiking.

In the 1990s, a linebacker named Rob Morris played football for BYU. He was an awesome athlete and very fun to watch. He became known as Freight Train Morris. At one particular game, BYU passed out wooden train whistles. We were told to blow into the whistles every time he tackled another player.