The Tomb Of A Pastor's Wife And Stillborn Child In A Church In Hindelbank, Switzerland, 1751, Depicting

Today those of my faith celebrate Palm Sunday. This day commemorates one of the events leading up to the pinnacle of all Christendom, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What strikes me so profoundly today is the observation that the event (A Man, riding a donkey, enters a city) is not only remembered today, but was thrilling the day it happened, and anticipated for eons before. While our perspectives are certainly different, myself and my contemporaries adore and worship the same Messiah, the Son of God as did those thousands upon thousands of years ago.

My faith is not new, not a trend, not a whim. 

“Where, O death, is your victory?   Where, O death, is your sting?”

hey. don’t cry. crush three cloves of garlic into a pot with a dollop of olive oil and stir until golden then add one can of crushed tomatoes a bit of balsamic vinegar half a tablespoon of brown sugar half a cup of grated parmesan cheese and stir for a few minutes adding a handful of fresh spinach until wilted and mix in pasta of your choice ok?

Look I'm just not calm about the nebulous possibilities of superconductors. Whether the work of the team out of South Korea is or is not all they claim, I'm just really excited for the potential to see such a monumental breakthrough in my time. To see how it gets incorporated, to see new versions of familiar technology touting LK-99 as a component even when it doesn't actually improve that particular item much. I want to see the world all excited about the same thing, even a little.

I feel like one of the saddest things in 6x18 was how brainy looked at Alex and Kelly dancing. He was so longing looking, he so obviously wants that future with nia and knowing he can’t have it really hit him in that moment. So sad yet beautiful

Honestly, I had to rewind that moment and watch it again like 4 or 5 times before I could keep going with the episode.

It is such an incredible use of body language and facial expression that manages to perfectly exhibit just how much Brainy must be feeling in that moment. The way he's half sunk into his chair, clutching onto himself like he's about 2 seconds from a total mental breakdown, absolutely absorbed in Alex and Kelly laughing and dancing because the longer he watches them, the more it begins to sink in that he's about to lose all of that.

And it's not just his loved ones he's about to lose. Brainy is at a party where he's supposed to be celebrating his friends' engagement, he's surrounded by laughter and joy and he has to sit there knowing that he's essentially been handed his expiration date. When he leaves his family behind, he's going to die, and as far as we are aware, there is no one at that table - not even Nia - who knows that.

It's a truly harrowing expression in that regard and Jesse performs it absolutely perfectly. You're right, there's so much longing in that look, but also fear and heartache, so overwhelming that you can see the moment that Brainy very nearly goes over the edge and loses his composure. He catches himself just in time, though, blinking back into the moment and excusing himself before he can give anything else away.

I love that Nia is so aware of Brainy throughout, and the moment he leaves the table, she's ready to follow him. She might not know the horrible truth of what the future will bring for Brainy, but she knows enough that he absolutely cannot be left alone.

The scene that follows where Nia helps to ground Brainy was fantastic, especially with how touch-based it was. Yet again, we see the two of them factor in their main sources of comfort for each other, hand holding and of course Nia snuggling into her spot on Brainy's shoulder. The parallel of the pinky promise scene is incredibly poignant throughout, which further showcases how Nia and Brainy are so grounded by one another, even when it feels like the world is falling apart around them.

We truly did get some excellent performances and Brainia scenes from this episode, I just wish they could have been under better circumstances. 🥺

# I C O N I C

Apparently the IRS doesn’t know that I exist

being 25 is like: im dying. im living my best life. im a failure. my life hasnt started. everything interesting has already happened to me. im achieving my dreams. im cutting my hair with kitchen scissors. im starting a skincare routine. im a corporate professional. im a sellout. im out of groceries. i have too many groceries. i am never going to be successful. i am going to win a hugo award before im 30. im crazy. im boring. i need to finish this essay. i need to finish this story. i need to start a newsletter. i need to start tweeting more. i need to stop tweeting. i need to ghost all my friends. i need to tell my friends i love them. i need to find a new apartment. i need to take out the trash. i am the trash that needs to be taken out. 

Sunday Will Come

“I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.”

—Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Sunday Will Come” 2006 (emphasis added)