Things I learned this week

Trials come in all shapes and sizes. An amazing family I know just lost their father to melanoma cancer. This is a trial I can't even imagine facing. The Mom, Cory, was so positive through everything. Her 2 high school-aged children spoke at their Dad's funeral. Their talks were positive and faithful and a reflection, I think, of their Mom's positive energy and faith. 16-year old Sophie said she was happy to know that her Dad would get to meet her children before she did. Anders (I think he's 17 or 18) said he knew that because of Jesus Christ, he would be able to be with his Dad again. Their other son, Quintin, is serving as a missionary in Chile. He was at the airport, waiting for his flight to leave so he could come home and see his father one last time before he died. He said that he felt he should stay in Chile because that's where his Dad wants him to be right now so he turned around and went back.

My trials are nothing compared to this, but for some reason they still feel like pretty big trials to me. I've learned a lot from this family's example this week. I want to be the kind of Mom that teaches her children to be positive and faithful in the face of sadness and difficulty. I learned that I'm grateful for Jesus and his atonement. I'm grateful for the atonement because it makes it possible for families to be forever. I'm grateful for the atonement because as a very weak person, I can hope that one day, through the atonement, my weaknesses can turn into strengths. The older I get the more I realize how much I need this aspect of the atonement. I do so much that needs correcting. I'm also grateful for the atonement because of what it says in Matthew 11:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. When things are heavy and I am feeling burdened, I am grateful to know that the Savior help me carry those burdens. When I was serving as the gospel doctrine teacher in the Morristown Ward, I would come to church every Sunday feeling "heavy laden"--nervous, overwhelmed, anxious. I was unable to enjoy church because I was so stressed about having to teach all those scriptorians, former mission presidents, bishops, etc. I read these verses during sacrament meeting and said a prayer that I would be able to not feel so burdened by my calling. And from that moment forward, the calling was not as heavy a burden. I felt that the Lord saw my efforts and help to lighten my load. So that's the other reason I'm grateful for the atonement.

I don't know why I'm feeling so reflective tonight, but I just am. Life is not usually this serious. Tonight I was helping Gracie go "potty" and I went to take my usual seat on the edge of the bathtub but I overshot my mark and fell backwards into the bathtub. Gracie thought it was VERY funny and so did I. My clumsiness brings me to another thing that I learned this week. Yesterday some workers were at our house replacing the roof and I backed into Pablo's car and dented and scraped his driver's side door.

What a stupid thing to do! Just like that--we are out $500. I called Ron and I was VERY upset but instead of getting mad at me, he just said "accidents happen" and told me not to worry about it. So I learned from Ron what it means to be a supportive and GREAT spouse. I am grateful for the kind things he does for me every day.

To sum up--I learned to try and be positive amidst life's struggles, that I'm grateful for the Savior and the blessings of his atonement, that I want to be a good wife to Ron just like he's a GREAT husband to me. I also learned to be careful when I sit down on the edge of the bathtub.