Don't You Dare Judge! Your trials are here to only make you stronger.

 Acting like a pirate cause I had to wear an eye patch at night haha

 ok! I have been wanting to write this story for a long time. I know it's kind of long but, I help you can get something from it cause I sure have. Bear with me but, I would love it if you read it:)

       In second grade, I got bells palsy.  I realized that I couldn't blink or smile on one side of my face and believe me. I was frightened. I went from being just a regular girl at school to now having to worry about what people thought of me because of my face. Bells Palsy can be permanent or can go away but, I didn't know much about what I had so I was so scared. Right when I got home from the Dr.'s, my dad and bishop gave me a priesthood blessing and I was filled with overwhelming comfort and peace that everything would be ok. Sometimes the feeling that everything will be ok is all you need. My dad also said that it would go by fast in the blessing and sure enough. After a couple weeks, I was healed. I truly believe that because of me and my families faith, the power of the priesthood helped heal and comfort me. Don't EVER! take the power of the priesthood for granted.

The End... oh wait there's more..

This was last year, I was an officer at my school and just made the school play. For me, I am not that good at acting and have to push myself to have a lot of confidence to get on stage and do a good job. And as an officer, you have to put yourself out there and be a friend to everyone. Well, I felt like I was on the top of the world. Yaaay everything good. and then, one day in math class, I felt my face starting to droop and I started to not be able to feel half my face or move it. I was like "oh no!!!!" I have it again! and in high school!! So much worse than in elementary because High school is full of comparison, judgement, and so much more. I drove home just balling and praying the whole time and was just confused. I didn't know this could happen AGAIN!! I already went through this. But, this time, I felt calmer as I sat crying and praying in the car on the way home from school. After going to the Dr.'s and realizing YUP! It's Bell's palsy again. I felt devastated. How will I be a student body and represent the school and put others before myself if I can't even take care or have confidence in myself?  How will I go on stage and dance and sing and smile if I can't even move half of my face? I lost confident in myself and wanted to just cry and cry and not show my face until it was healed. I would get laughing really hard around people just cause I couldn't help it and they would give me the weirdest look and believe me, even I knew I looked like a fool. I again asked for a blessing and felt peace and comfort but, almost felt like giving up. AGAIN? SERIOUSLY? The medicine they gave me to help the nerves also didn't help because it had an effect on making you really sad and I already was so I just felt like I was on the bottom and just sad. Also, whenever I went on stage, my eye wouldn't blink so it would dry out and the lights shining on my face would sting my eyes so bad and felt like they were being cut. sorry kind of TMI. i would walk around the halls and not want to talk to anyone. I just felt like I would make a fool out of myself if I even tried saying something cause my face wouldn't be able to do the things I wanted it to. Also, I love love love to smile and am always smiling and not really being able to do that made me sad. I felt so serious and not myself and I didn't like it. Luckily, after a very short time (shorter than last time) I was healed. It was amazing and it taught me many things.........

I realized how much love and support I had through it all. My family and some friends were there for me, checking on me, and helping me. It taught me so much gratitude for people who care and I will forever be grateful for their help. It also taught me how powerful the power of the priesthood is. I also, as I would walk down the hall just in my head think, "please please please don't judge me! please just don't think anything about how I look! I know I look silly but, you don't know how I feel and I don't need to feel worse by you judging or looking at me weird" then it hit me! my thoughts put me in a lot of peoples situation.  It helped me realize to NEVER judge. you have no clue what they are going through. Love everyone. You honestly could learn to love ANYONE if you only knew their story and what they have been through. It has helped remind me of my experience and how I felt and to never make someone feel even worse but to make them feel better. I also learned a lot about how Heavenly Father, my family, and the right people will love you for who you are inside and not how you look on the outside. It taught me to turn to God always and especially through your trials and thank him (even though that can be hard) for the trial you have and ask how it can help strengthen and teach you and I promise he will make you grow in ways you didn't even know you could. I am so grateful for Bells palsy and the things that it has taught me.