19: stays together

as a primary kid i had an arch enemy who lived down the street from me who once included the request "and please bless julie will die" at the end of his prayer in sunday school. i was terrified, of course, because if there was one thing we'd all been taught at that young age it was that God answers prayer. luckily for me, God can be selective about which prayers he answers and i've now lived long enough to turn this once traumatic situation into my favorite pre-prayer anecdote. because, well, every good prayer begins with a joke, right?

okay, maybe not, but that's how it usually happens in my apartment. it's usually sylvia and me who can't stop laughing while christy stares us down and jessie sits quietly probably wondering if all mormons are this irreverent. eventually it quiets down enough for someone to inform me that it is once again my turn to pray (somehow it always is) and we commence with a bit more reverence (until sylvia feels the need to supplement the prayer with additional information). by the time the "amen" rolls around, we've usually come out alright.

i make light of this nightly tradition but in all seriousness, praying together as an apartment family is one of my favorite things about my living situation, and probably the biggest contributor to our household success. that and the fact that we're all so freaking cool. it's been a good lesson for me and above all things, this is the time spent with my roommates that i will miss the most.