If you're still reading this, thanks for checking in!:) I feel like I've lived about 10 years of life in the last month, but each day the road seems a little less bumpy and we're so grateful for all who have pushed and pulled us over each boulder that threatened our progress. We've felt supported by the thoughts and prayers of friends and relatives all over this country, as well as phone calls and lunch dates:) It has been wonderful to be close to all the family we have here in Utah. They have been so helpful to us as we have tried to situate ourselves through setbacks and inconveniences. We are so grateful to each of you and the opportunity to strengthen those relationships!
I thought I'd share a few of the things we have learned recently. Moving is hard, but having no employment or ability to provide for the needs of your family is harder. Having a life-threatening illness in the family is overwhelming, but holding onto who you've always been and continuing to progress toward becoming the family you've always wanted to be through it all, is even harder still. Everyone has challenges that threaten this progression... otherwise life would be easy! As I have observed the world around me with "new lenses" I am constantly reminded that everyone has their story. Everyone is working through something and needs our kindness. We're all at different places, being challenged by different hard things, but we all have a story we could tell of a victory we are working toward... or maybe even already achieved.
This past month I have realized that living across the City of Lehi and driving my kids to and from school might have been difficult, until I had spent two and a half weeks in my car all day driving back and forth from Kaysville... about an hour away! I realized that washing your hair in the kitchen sink with water that you had to boil is better than taking a cold shower, but being able to do laundry, dishes, and bathing with hot water is a wonderful luxury I often take for granted. I realized that even though I get frustrated sometimes with how much time we spend with phones and the internet, being unable to connect with friends and family the way we wanted to for a month made life harder than it needed to be... we need those connections!! At one point we might have really disliked cramming 8 people into an 1100 sq. ft. apartment, until we realized how many things require an address. Living in a small condo with camp chairs for the couch and foam pads for beds is infinitely better than being homeless! I've reaffirmed that there are times when praying to my Heavenly Father daily is good enough to keep me moving forward peacefully, and then there are times when searching the scriptures and listening to the Spirit and truly seeking to understand His will for me and allowing Him to guide every step of my life are necessary to get myself out of bed each morning! As long as I keep that relationship strong, and with His help, I can handle anything!
We're doing well. Every moment of the last 5 weeks of transition have not been joy-filled or tear-free, but we are grateful for our current blessings and are feeling peaceful about where we are headed. My current favorite quote is by Thomas S. Monson, as I am reading his Biography... "To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility." Humility has been a little easier to find lately than courage and cheerfulness, but we're making progress!:)
Bless your hearts for being able to find all of those blessings in such a trying time. You are such an example to me and I am so grateful that you shared these joys with us. Oh, how we take things for granted. We love and miss you guys. We talk so often about how we wish you hadn't left. We have felt left behind and stuck here sometimes but I think it is time to count our many blessings! We are still praying like crazy for you!
ReplyDeleteIn your last email you sent out, you mentioned something along the lines of not to expect words of inspiration on your blog. But truly every thing you have shared has been just that for us! We were there last year with a move, but without the illness part. So I can relate to that much. I never expect to read fancy or beautifully written words here, I just want to know how you guys are doing, but each time I read what you share I am truly touched and inspired. Whether or not you mumble or cry or stress or scream, you are human and I expect to read those things. But your bravery and courage come in trudging through these trials with a better attitude than I think I could have. Todd and I look up to you guys, for the example you have been to us. We love you guys and will never stop praying for you and your cute family, no matter how small the trial or how big. Now I hope you bought a big container of calgon to take you away after the last 5 weeks of moving! You guys deserve a break!
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