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As you may be able to glean from this post title, I'm not handling stress very well at the moment. At all. I just want everything to go away so I can curl up in a corner and cry.


However, the small rational part of my brain that's still faintly active realizes that this isn't behaviour befitting an almost-adult. I should be glad about this new event in life. I've been looking forward to this day since graduation, yet at this eleventh hour (literally) the apprehension is setting in. It's generalized anxiety, so there's no single cause--that would be too easy. 


Maybe it's just that I hate packing. It stresses me out even when it's for brief trips, but now the idea of boxing up my life for a while is making me crazy. 


I think it's mostly that my dad isn't here. He left yesterday to visit his parents in California, and I miss him. I really need him right now; he's always been the one who helps me feel sane.  


Analysis also helps me feel sane, so I'm going to talk about something completely different now. I've been ruminating lately quite a bit about religion. I've concluded that all religions contain truth. There are good people all over the world who believe different things, but they're still good people. We can nitpick all we want about the differences between our beliefs and those of others, but I think we should focus more on the similarities. 


Especially where I live, in the heart of conservative, Mormon Utah, there's a lot of cultural blindness. We're all so obsessed with showing people that our faith is the most true, wonderful thing that has ever happened in this world. And I do love the gospel with all my heart. That being said, having strong beliefs doesn't preclude listening to and attempting to understand other faiths. We don't have the monopoly on morality, and we can learn some very valuable things from "outsiders." 


Look at Islam and the tradition of Ramadan, for example. Fasting for a whole month? I definitely respect that. I fast once a month, (which for me is just abstaining from food or drink for two consecutive meals) and that's hard. I can only imagine the spiritual uplift that would come from focusing on God for an entire month. Reading from scripture and praying day and night while bonding in family and community can only be a good thing. No matter what religious group a person belongs to, they can have a personal relationship with God, no matter what name they know him by. 


It really bothers me when people label all Muslims as terrorists or cultists. Islam preaches so many virtues that are in harmony with teachings of so many other faiths, especially Christianity. The five pillars of Islam are Shahadah (testimony of God and the prophet Muhammad), prayer, fasting, giving alms, and pilgrimage. Islam.com says that "one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage, patience and politeness." I have immense admiration for these people, because the vast majority actually follow the religion that they profess to believe. There is a minority that makes a lot of noise, but many faithful Muslims say that a true follower of the prophet Muhammad wouldn't act as these terrorists have, essentially saying that anybody who acts like that isn't part of Islam.


I'm feeling much better now, so I think I'll try to be productive again.


Ciao!