Today I have really thought about how much of an example my children are to me. My son just turned 12 a week and 2 days ago and he has accomplished so many great things in the last week. He received the Priesthood last Sunday, attended Deacons last Sunday for the first time, got his recommend so he could attend the temple, went to a farewell party for him in his 11 year old Scouts, went to his first YM's activity on Wednesday, went to the Temple for his first time without either Rick or I with his older brother and cousin on Thursday morning at 4 a.m., went on his first campout with the Deacons and Teachers on Friday night, snowshoed 1 1/2 miles on that campout for the first time, passed the Sacrament for his first time today, shared his sweet and tender testimony in Sacrament Meeting without any prodding and then went out after church with his dad to do Fast Offerings for his first time. He didn't ever express any fear, concern, nervousness or even sadness about moving onto the next things in his life. Instead he did all of this with total excitement. He has enjoyed every day and cherished each experience. He has felt the spirit and is being such a great example to his brothers and his dad and mom. Then when we got home from church today my 2 youngest came to me and said they wanted to play a game together. Usually I settle in for a nice Sunday afternoon nap soon after church or start going through my list of things that are Sunday appropriate that can be accomplished, but instead played an hour of games with my 2 youngest. We were laughing and having so much fun. They were such simple games, but there was so much joy found in the games and being together. I am so grateful for all four of my boys that teach me that there is much joy in becoming like a child. My oldest for setting such an amazing example for the other ones and truly choosing the gospel as the center of his daily life. My second one for going at each step of life with such joy and excitement and showing that there is nothing to fear and my two youngest for just enjoying the simple things in life. There is so much happiness found in daily living our lives like children. There was great wisdom from the Savior when he said to become like a child.
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So, it has been a very long time since I have blogged on this sight, but have decided that it is time to come back and make this a regular thing for me :). I have so much I want to share that I have learned and hope that it will benefit someone else. First and foremost I want to go back to the No REGRETS post. At the time I posted about someone I didn't know, but over the last year I have had my own experiences that have really woke me up. I have always strived to enjoy every day and every one I come in contact with, but we all have our days. A year ago in November was one of those days. On Friday, November 4th I had been in charge, with a friend of mine, of an auction fundraiser for our school. It is a huge endeavor with all of the donations wrapped in baskets and a special evening event for adults. We generally raise around $7000 - $9000 from this event. By the time the night was over I was exhausted, but on Saturday my niece was getting baptized. We got up early and went to the baptism and then had lunch as a family. After lunch many of us decided we wanted to go play laser tag. Between my brothers and sisters and spouses and their children there was around 30 of us. We had a great afternoon and it was really fun, but I was even more tired. Sunday we went over to my parent's for dinner. For about 20 years or so we have loved playing Acquire as a family with my parent's and often times we will play on Sunday evenings. My brother tried to talk me into it, but I had hit a point that I was sooo tired. I decided that we would have the next week or there would be another time. It was one of the first times that I just didn't give in and enjoy a game with my family. The next morning I sent my son off on the bus around 7:05 a.m. and told him it was going to be a low key day and I would be home when he got off the bus. About 7:15 a.m. my phone rings and it is my sister. She is panicked. She tells me that my dad hadn't been breathing for awhile and the paramedics were working on him. I don't remember the exact words, but it sent major panic in me. I didn't know what to do, but walk around the house and say, "Perfect Faith." It was all that could cross my mind. I hurried and got ready for the day and ran to the hospital with my husband and my 3 boys that were still home. When we got to the emergency room they were working on him and said they had finally gotten a pulse, but he had gone a long time without oxygen. As I am writing this I can still feel the emotions of that day. Several of the men in our family gathered to give him a priesthood blessing before he was taken to ICU. They were going to freeze my dad to slow down the potential damage. There are many days and a year worth of stories that go into this, but as I sat in the waiting room with my family waiting for the doctor to come out and tell us the status of my dad I had the thought come into my mind that I just wish I would have stayed that one hour and played the game with my family. It was a regret and I didn't know if I would ever get to play the game with him again. It seems so trivial, but when I hugged him goodbye Sunday evening he was healthy and fine. Monday morning by 7:00 a.m. he is having a cardiac arrest. This is a major thing, but how many times in our life could we go to a party and enjoy it even if we don't want to be there or enjoy the time reading with our child even though there is frustration with reading. Are there times that our children ask us to play a game and we say no, but in reality if we spent 10 minutes with them playing the game they would move onto something else and feel totally happy that we spent time with them. Do we take an extra second to hug our parent's when we leave their home. Are we mad at someone that now seems so trivial with what we fought over, but refuse to raise the surrender flag? What do we have to lose - what do we have to gain? The outcome for my dad turned out to be witnessing immense amount of miracles and he did return home to be with his family and can function and enjoy his life. We have played that game again several times, but I definitely cherish every time we play it. It is a constant reminder of cherishing every moment. My children will tell everyone that their mom's saying is, "NO REGRETS" and I mean it. Take each day at a time and find ways to cherish each moment. With this time of Thanksgiving and then Christmas following right after it there are several different feelings that people are having. With the stress of the economy it can be a feeling of being overwhelmed and wondering how you are going to pull the holidays off at all. Then there are others that have so much to do that they are moving through their check list and not really stopping to really think about the holidays and why we celebrate. For others they are taking time to really think about what each of the holidays mean and striving to get the most out of each of them.
Regardless of where you are at in your life it is important to take a minute each day and "Think to Thank." Whether it is thanking those around you that bless your lives or just remembering to thank those that do the simple things throughout the day for you. Whether it is holding a door open for you or a taxi cab driver or a boss, children, wife, husband, etc. As you "Think to Thank" you will be amazed at how much better you will feel. All of a sudden you will find that you are giving something that truly comes from the heart. This is really deep, but something that I have been thinking about a lot lately and this week hit home really strong. Over the last several years I have found myself not wanting to leave people with bad feelings or even having a fight carry on for very long. I have always thought to myself that I didn't want to have any regrets if something happened to someone I loved and couldn't fix the silly fight or mean things that were said. We never know what people are going through and what is causing them to act they way they are. In the grand scheme of things is what we are fighting about really worth the fight and harming family or friendship relationships.
The other thing that I have thought about is that we more than likely won't ever have the same people, same activity, same feelings, same experiences happen all at one time again besides the moment that it actually happens. How do you want to remember that moment? How do you want to feel about that experience? Do you want to remember the stress you were feeling, the list of things that have to be done or should be done instead of being there, being mad at someone who is there, etc. Or , if you have taken the time to go to the event do you want the memory to be fun, laughter, conversations with positive memories, etc. With these things to think about there have been a couple of experiences that have happened this week that has caused me to reflect much deeper on this: On Wednesday, November 17th an instructor and student from a local college were in flight. Their plane stalled and it ended up crashing near an elementary school. Both the student and instructor were killed. The student had just recently gotten married. The instructor was a mother of a 4 year old and an 18 month old. I didn't know her at all, but the story struck me really hard. It has caused great emotion in me. I found her husband on Facebook and he posted the day that she passed away that he had lost his wife. Then the next day he posted a video he made of his 4 year old saying bedtime prayers. It is a short prayer, but the power behind the prayer is very powerful and emotional. He wants Jesus and Heavenly Father to take care of his mom and misses her. As I watched this I thought about my own children and what memories I would want my children to have of their mom if something happened. What memories and things am I teaching my children. The other thing that struck me was an interview her husband did on the news and he talked about the last thing that he remembers with her is giving her a hug and a kiss and telling her that he loved her. What a great last memory to have with her. What if they had just had a fight and they had said mean things to each other as she left? What do you want your last memories and words to be with the people you love in your life? At least he doesn't have any regrets on what his last words were to her. We were at a Family Christmas Party (I know it is a little early) last night and a family tradition that this family has had for as long as I have been in the family is to have my husband's grandpa read the Nativity. There have been years with young children that I have thought to myself that we needed to get it over with so my kids wouldn't be so noisy and frustrating to everyone. I have thought at times that I know the story and so do my children and do we need to do it every year at the family Christmas party since we do it on Christmas Eve. These have been thoughts that I realize now I shouldn't have had. To my children it is their Great Grandpa and the years with him here with us might not be many. Over the last couple of years that he has read the Nativity it has been a more emotional experience for me. I want to always be able to capture Grandpa reading the Nativity. My children will never forget the sweet spirit that comes with him reading the Nativity. It is something they know happens every year and something they talk about. How will you live your life with NO REGRETS? During this holiday season as the list of things to do and places to be becomes longer than you can possibly do take a minute and think about these things. Capture the memories and take time to enjoy right where you are at. The list of things to do will continue to grow and will always be there, but the people won't. On a Septic Tank Truck in Oregon:
Yesterday's Meals on Wheels On a Septic Tank Truck sign: "We're #1 in the #2 business." ************************** Sign over a Gynecologist's Office: "Dr. Jones, at your cervix." ************************** At a Proctologist's door "To expedite your visit please back in." ************************** On a Plumber's truck: "We repair what your husband fixed." ************************** On a Plumber's truck: "Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.." ************************** Pizza Shop Slogan: "7 days without pizza makes one weak." ************************** At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee: "Invite us to your next blowout." ************************** On a Plastic Surgeon's Office door: "Hello. Can we pick your nose?" ************************** At a Towing company: "We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows." ************************** On an Electrician's truck: "Let us remove your shorts." ************************** In a Nonsmoking Area: "If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action." ************************** On a Maternity Room door: "Push. Push. Push." ************************** At an Optometrist's Office "If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place." ************************** On a Taxidermist's window: "We really know our stuff." ************************** In a Podiatrist's office: "Time wounds all heels." ************************** On a Fence: "Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive." ************************** At a Car Dealership: "The best way to get back on your feet -- miss a car payment." ************************* Outside a Muffler Shop: "No appointment necessary. We hear you coming." ************************** In a Veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!" ************************** At the Electric Company: "We would be delighted if you send in your payment. However, if you don't, you will be." ************************** In a Restaurant window: "Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up." ************************** In the front yard of a Funeral Home: "Drive carefully. We'll wait." ************************** At a Propane Filling Station, "Thank heaven for little grills." ************************** And don't forget the sign at a ChicagoRadiator Shop: "Best place in town to take a leak." Many of us have watched the TV reality show, "America's Got Talent" . On the show there are always amazing people along with some less than amazing people. It is a fun show to watch. A lot of the contestants have a story behind their talent that has made them great at what they do. The same is true of this armless Chinese man on China's version of the same show. This video is truly amazing to watch. I think my kids no longer have reason to not practice the piano. :) This is a video that I thought that you might like to see. In fact, share it with your husband. You will be laughing and he will be getting a "subtle hint" about how he can help be a bit "nicer". :) Enjoy. For most people they have gone through two thirds of their summer with children home. Were you one that when the kids first came home you were wondering if you would survive the summer and now you are thinking that the summer is going too fast and are not ready for the summer to end? It might be that you are not ready for the homework again or maybe it is the early morning hours or you have found that you have really enjoyed having your children home. For other parent's they might be feeling guilty and wishing that they would have done more with their children over the summer.
Regardless of where you are at with the summer, remember that you do still have a month. You can get up everyday and enjoy the time you have with your children. If you wished that you would have worked with your kids on certain school skills or reading, but haven't, it's not too late. Do you wish you would have gone to the local public pool or played at the park with your children? Then do it. Maybe you had visions of working with your children on their bedrooms over the summer, but haven't gotten around to it. Take time and do it. You might be thinking that it isn't that easy due to your schedule or even your children's schedule. Don't live with regrets or with pressure to do it all. Remember you have each day, one day at a time, to decide what you are going to do. Your children are going to grow up despite what you do so enjoy some time with them. Teach them, love them and have fun with them. Some of the best memories and lessons learned in life are times when my parent's spent time with me doing something that we both cared about. Sometimes it was working hard and other times it was having fun. There is a balance. Don't regret another day. Remember twenty minutes with your children can be invaluable to your children then you can get back to the pressing things in your life. Have you ever been so sick that you were willing to go through whatever the doctor told you to do? Maybe it is bad knees so you have to have knee replacement surgery. Maybe it is stomach problems so you have to go on a strong medication to fight off whatever the problem is. For me I have fought endometriosis since I was a teenager and have had surgery a couple of times. It had gotten to the point where I was in pain over twenty days of the month that caused me to have to take pain medication on some of the days. I was to the point that I was willing to do whatever the doctor said I needed to do.
So, I go to the doctor and when he gives me the options I decide to go with the "simplest" way to start with the pain. I take medication to curve the pain. It has worked. I haven't had severe pains since a couple of weeks on the medication, but what I didn't think about is the other side effects that could come. The headaches, extremely tired, lack of motivation, some depression and pulling away from things. As I read about the medication and side effects I find several people who have posted the same things and are swearing off the medication. I start thinking that I am going to do the same. Then I start to think about which is worse. What am I willing to go through to get rid of the severity of the pain that I had gone through for years? Am I willing to put up with some of the side effects? As I have thought about my situation I have thought about a friend of mine that would commonly talk about the pain she suffered in her knees. She had decided that she was going to have a knee replacement done because everyone she talked to said it was worth it. It has been a couple of weeks and as I have read her Facebook posts she has had to do therapy, can't walk up and down stairs, can't get around, is in a lot of pain and is now missing the freedom that she did have before this. Was it really freedom? She was suffering a lot of pain to the point it held her back from doing things. Now she is in a different kind of pain and it might feel like it is out of reach to feel better, but she is actually on a better road to recovery. So, where are you at in life? It might not be a physical pain, but an emotional pain. Maybe it is a struggle with what to do and you might be thinking the grass is greener on the other side. It can be, but it is important to recognize that there are growing pains on both sides of the fence. Just because you decide to take the leap and hope for better there might be pains to get to the better life. It will come, but patience is what is necessary. It is important to not blame people or your decision, but go into it with high hopes of things getting better. Just think about this quote, "Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious." Bill Meyer What seeds are you planting as you go through your challenges whether it is health, emotional, financial, relationships, etc? The mind can win. I have known of this song for sometime, but I just come across it again and thought you might like this. It is great and very true! |
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