As February begins winding down, I have decided this has been the winter of sickness. I've been sick from Thanksgiving on with one sinus infection or cold or virus after another. Me and Maylie have had two rounds of antibiotics, and the boys have been sick too but managed to escape having to use antibiotics...yet (knock on wood). And it hasn't been fun, this 3-month long season of sickness (with just a few days in-between viruses of healthy days) or desirable in the slightest, but I have learned a lot of lessons.
Lesson #1--I need to take care of my needs and the needs of my family first. It is all right to say no, even though I despise falling through with commitments and such. When we are sick, as President Uchtdorf would say, we need to slow down and focus on what's most essential. I have vowed that when I get well I will not forget this lesson and strive to keep my family's needs met and not feel bad when I have to take it easy and take care of us.
Lesson #2--The house will wait for me and somehow the Lord will help it get clean. Last week was so difficult for me because I was too sick to keep up on the regular household chores, which of course, drives me absolutely berserk. I am such a structured and organized person. I have learned that this is just a part of who I am and I will always be most happy when my home and my inward self is orderly, clean, and tidy. And yes, as both my mom and gram reminded me, the house will wait. And though this phrase made me cringe as I watched all of the the laundry piling up and the crumbs collecting needlessly on the floor, wait I did. And while I was at a meeting on Saturday accompanying a high councilor's musical number, Patrick cleaned the house for me--reminding me of the Lord's endless tender mercies and love for little me and my little house. I was left so grateful for a loving husband's sweet, selfless service.
Lesson #3--In the midst of chaos, beauty and structure and answers emerge. I learned last week that even if I'm not ordering and cleaning my house, I can organize and tidy my inward self. This made me happy and not feel like I was wasting last week. I spent a lot of time pondering and honing my daily schedule for this coming year. And the Lord blessed me with all kinds of miraculous ideas and wisdom. Truly, I was blessed while I was sick and my house was in chaos to bring forth new ideas and order the world within me. And though I've been still very sick this week, I have at least been capable of doing the daily chores and playing with my children. And I get the wonderful privilege of living out the plan the Lord helped me create last Saturday, so I am extremely happy.
Lesson #4--It's possible to be happy even when we are sick. This has been such a wonderful lesson to experience. Though my body has been suffering, the Lord has truly helped my Spirit to be light and content and enjoy each small, slow moment for the grandeur it contains. My life is in the hands of the Lord and I trust that He will see fit to heal me when He deems the time is right. I love my life and my family so much, it almost hurts to think about it, for fear my heart will burst in gratitude and joy. I am so blessed.
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| Homemade wheat bread... |
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| Homemade Apple Pie...made with love and coconut oil and agave substitutions for a healthier dessert! |
And this was a few days ago. Easton's book order came in and I had ordered books for each of my sweeties. They spent the rest of the afternoon pouring over the pictures, and Maylie has carried around her little suitcase full of Hello Kitty books ever since. I love how much my children love books, and I love to buy them books every book order I can. It makes us all light up! Books have always been precious to me...the smell of the pages, the feel in my hand, the comfort, the wisdom, the faraway lands, the excitement. There is something almost magical about a book. And still to this day I have a hard time reading on electronic devices because of my deep deep love for a real, live book.
And so we carry on the tradition of story time every single day after lunch for 15-30 minutes and sometimes even an hour. We've been holding this gathering time for 3 years now and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! It is a sacred time I treasure and will look back on with ever so much fondness. The experience of reading books together is one of the things I hold close to my heart, for my memories of reading with my mother when I was little (and not so little) are treasures of the highest value. I'll always remember laying down with her on her bed for story time and nap time every day after lunch and then as I got older I would read books to my little sisters, and then as I entered the teenage years I would read the Harry Potter books to my mom every day after school as she cooked or quilted. These are some of my very best memories. And I hope that my sweet little children will look back on their days of childhood with fond remembrance of our own sweet story times--cuddled up with blankies and pillows on the couch.
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The End.
