Sparkle

On a whim I bought a book entitled The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. It's unbelievably awesome, and this is coming from a girl who still feels that high school chemistry was the most confusing class she ever took. Every spread of my new square book has the name and number of an element from the periodic table with pictures and factoids to make science interesting. My new heroes are iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), and lead (Pb). Lead contains no peanut butter despite the confusing and mouthwatering abbreviation.

One tidbit I found interesting is that Rome has used the same lead drainpipes for the last 2,000 years. They say that lead lasts virtually forever. Those Romans with their lead pipes and aqueducts. Geniuses.

Sadly, lead is toxic to humans and ill-favored by Superman's eyeballs. Just the dose in one speeding bullet will do you in (if the bullet didn't already).

I was on the fence about lead. Pro: it lasts forever. Con: it will kill you. I just couldn't make up my mind if I loved it or hated it. This next fact tipped the scale in lead's favor for personal reasons.

LEAD MAKES CUT GLASS SPARKLE.

There is seldom little I love more than sparkly facets of glass. It must stem from my Thanksgiving Day job as a kid. I had to Windex every crystal on the dining room chandelier from the golf ball-sized center crystal to the tiny oyster cracker-sized ones up top. I was happy to do it, especially since the alternate job was ironing the tablecloth formerly used as a ship's sail.

Leaded glass is 33% lead yet completely transparent. How can it be clear when one-third of it is lethally heavy metal? Sometimes lead doesn't make sense.

The book says: "Lead increases the index of refraction, making the glass more sparkly."

My simple interpretation: Lead makes ordinary glass sparkle.

The way my brain refracted my simple interpretation: Trials somehow enhance us if we endure them well. I think the "well" part is what makes the sparkle.

Thank goodness I have had some toxically tough things happen in my life. Double thank goodness the Lord saw fit to bless me with a heavy burden for the last 12 years. I've just carried it with me; unsure of what value it has added to my life. I was unsure until I realized I am a highly valued and purposely shaped piece of cut glass. I was unsure until I realized rainbows are shimmering from all my angles.

I wonder if people ever look at me and think, "Gee, she's so sparkly, but it's easy to sparkle when your life is that easy." What they don't understand is I'm only sparkling because I'm full of lead.

I am shot full of lead and thriving, not dying.

Peace be unto thy soul; thy adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. -Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-8