We'll Raise our Colors High in the Blue, and Cheer the Cougars of BYU

As I was walking out of WalMart the other day, (don't judge me, I still detest the place, but with it being the nearest grocery store to us, sometimes I just can't justify a trip to another store when I need to get something quickly) I saw a young father with two cute little girls walking toward me.  I didn't really think anything of it until I noticed that he had on a BYU hat.  Feeling a bit lonesome for my familiar Utah Valley, I couldn't let him pass without acknowledging that I knew what that Y stood for.  So, I bravely said "I love your hat!" How silly it sounds now, but it was a comfort to see something so familiar in a place still somewhat foreign to me.

A couple days after that, I was wandering around Costco.  A new friend had invited all four of my children over to her house to play.  I had two glorious hours of  child-free  errands, so, I chose Costco as my children hate it there.  As I was meandering through the aisles trying to locate something that I never could find, I passed a young mother with a toddler playing happily in the cart.  The lady had on a BYU hoodie, and on this particular day, so did I.  We both smiled and pointed at eachother's sweaters.  "Nice hoodie" she said as she passed me. It was an exchange that again I was grateful for. It was as if I was being shown that I wasn't alone.  

I've  only ever taken one psychology class at the Y, and that was as a visiting summer student.  I was afraid that I did so poorly, I never even found out my final grade for the class.  My loyalty for BYU has nothing to do with being a student there, but my dear dad began working there  when I was 5 after his own graduation, and he works there still.  When my brother, sisters and I were little, sometimes my dad would bring home tickets for a football game.  It was always very excting to get to go.  We'd pack a cooler full of treats and drinks and bring it into the stands with us.  I loved doing the wave with the crowds, stopping my feet and joining in singing the fight song.  Good memories, lots of good memories are associated with BYU, and I was happy to be reminded that I'm really not that far away.