Be Kind.

A while back I was waiting in a doctor's office and noticed a sign posted at the front desk. It said, "Be kind. You cannot not know what battles are raging around you." I have thought back to that message many times. It is very good advice.

I spent a few days this week with my mother who is recovering from a knee replacement surgery. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the quiet calm of her home, attending to small things that were beyond her current ability. (Surgery does take quite a toll, doesn't it.) Most of her dizziness and nausea had passed by the time I came and she was settled back in her own home. So, it was mostly a matter of being there "in case". (My sister Jen took the first long shift, dealing with the doctors and hospital and other "hard" stuff.)

Each day a physical therapist came by to teach and help Mom perform exercises that will assist her in stretching and bending and regaining strength in her knee. I was impressed with his manner. He was totally there for Mom, giving her his full attention, listening to her comments and frustrations, yet clear in his directions and persistent in his efforts. He was unfailingly gentle and helpful. He was cheerful and confident in her ability to recover completely. He was kind.

Everyone, like my mother, has battles raging. Some may have injuries or disease. Some may deal with anger or grief. Some may be afraid or lonely. Some are burdened with pain or physical limitations or addictions. Some fight fear or feelings of insecurity or depression. Battles can be short or very, very long. Battles can be big, intense and overwhelming or small, irritating and unsettling. Often the outcome of our battle is unsure, despite our best efforts. Sometimes we can sway the end result with persistence and endurance, patience and prayer. Usually, as we conquer one foe, another moves into play and a new battle begins. This is how we grow and learn and progress.

So I am reminded to be kind. You can never be faulted for that. Recognize that, though you may never know what battle is raging in another's life, kindness can soothe and help and console. A simple kind deed, however small, may sway the course of someone's personal battle, bringing some hope and peace. It costs nothing and the return in so great.

Be kind.

It's Conference Time!

I love general conference.

Twice a year The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints holds five sessions of what we call general conference. The two hour meetings are held on Saturday and Sunday at the beginning of April and October. While the actual conference takes place in the new conference center in Salt Lake City, Utah, members of the church from around the world participate through live satellite, internet, television and radio broadcasts. The meetings are also recorded and made available later on DVD and printed in the Church magazine, "The Ensign". The president of the church and other prophets, apostles and general leadership of the church speak and the Tabernacle Choir sings and each meeting is begun and ended with prayer. It is an opportunity for a world wide membership to see and hear their leaders, feel the Spirit and unite in a common meeting of worship.

Because we live in an area where all five sessions are available on televison (except the Prieshood session that is available in our meetinghouse via satellite), I like to be part of all the sessions on both Saturday and Sunday. I juggle my work schedule on Saturday to allow me to do something quiet and indoors during the sessions. Mariah often knits or crochets. Seth comes home off the mountain or from the job to be part of it. Those special Sunday mornings of conference are calm and relaxed with no early meetings or assignments before or after the sessions. Sometimes the kids come, with their kids, to watch with us. We eat and visit between sessions.

Through conferences I have learned to recognize the faces of our leaders. I hear their voices and get a feeling for their personalities. I am often touched by their humility, and yet cannot doubt the authority with which they speak. The Holy Ghost testifies to me of the importance of their words.

The main theme of this conference seemed to be love: God's love for us, our love for Him, the need to love each other. We were reminded of the need to ask for God's direction and follow the promptings of the Spirit. The importance of daily scripture study and prayer and family unity were emphasized. We were reminded that God's laws must be obeyed and His promises are sure. He is aware of each of us and ready to help as we seek him.

Because of conference, I feel a determination to be a better person, to try harder, to live better, to share what I have and serve those around me more often. I feel bouyed up and encouraged. I feel peace, even in our uncertain world. I feel an urgency to keep moving forward toward a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and an eventual eternity with my family that I love so much. I am filled with light and truth and hope.

I love general conference. It is another evidence that there is a God in Heaven and He loves me.

Essentials to happiness...

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." (Joseph Addison)

I guess that explains why I'm happy!

I have lots of things to do--fun things, hard things, mundane things, easy things, new things, old things, spiritual things, entertaining things, relaxing things, stressful things, happy things, sad things, uplifting things, depressing things, anticipated things, dreaded things, necessary things, complex things, simple things, things I like to do and things I don't.

Sometimes I do housework: I wipe, polish, sweep, mop, scrub, pick up, put away, rearrange, throw out, cook, bake, wash, vacuum, dust, launder, fold, iron, hang and organize. Sometimes I do shopping: I search ads, make lists, visit stores or internet sites to buy food, clothes, shoes, furniture, motel supplies, computer ink, paper, gifts, and any number of other items. Sometimes I do educational things: I watch informative television shows, read non fiction, study books and websites, search out health information, practice new skills and help with homework. Sometimes I do spiritual things: I read my scriptures and church magazines and books, pray, ponder, listen to uplifting music, attend meetings, serve in church callings and share the gospel. Sometimes I do physical things: I walk, lift weights, run up and down my stairs, dig and shovel and mow and rake and carry and bend and twist and turn. Sometimes I do service: paint, babysit, give back rubs, call someone, volunteer, send a card, answer questions or take in a meal. Sometimes I do things just for fun: I sing, play the piano, read novels, take a nap, play games, swing with the kids and play on the tramp, check Facebook, write emails and my blog.

I don't ever remember a time in my life when I had nothing to do.

I have many things and people to love. I love my husband, my children, my mom, my sisters, my brothers, my Hopkinson relatives, my Boyer relatives, my Thompson relatives, my friends and neighbors. I love music, books, family gatherings, temple time, long hot showers, lotion on dry skin, painted toe nails, phone calls from family and friends, going to bed early, card games and puzzles. I love to eat: chocolate, cashews, fresh bread, apples, peanut butter, cheese and crackers, mashed potatoes and gravy, waffles with berries and cream, and anything prepared by someone else. I love sunny days, rainy days, snowy days, winter, summer, spring and fall. I love being alive in this beautiful world.

I don't remember a time in my life when I had nothing to love.

I have hope......for myself, my family, my community, my country, the world. I have hope that I can become all that I desire to become. I have hope that my family will stay united in love. I have hope that my community will grow and continue to provide a safe refuge. I have hope that our country can remember it's roots and turn back to God for help in troubled times.
I have hope for peace in the world and help for those in need. I have hope that good will prevail and evil will be conquered. I have hope that life goes on beyond the grave in another sphere filled with light and love.

I don't remember a time in my life that I had no hope.

My life is not perfect, but I have those "three grand essentials" and so I have happiness. I am so blessed.

The Weske Boys

It was the Weske boys' turn with Grandma this last week. (Sarah and Jon headed out with Seth for an elk hunt in central Utah. Sarah had the tag!) So their sons moved in with Mariah and I at the motel. Things haven't been this lively here since the last family get together. What a blast!

Nathan recently turned eight years old. He was off to school most days and then to cub scouts and watching football games at the high school field. He invited friends over and spent lots of time on the zip line and trampoline. He is currently quite obsessed with karate and was regularly trying out his moves on his brothers. Nathan was always the first one to bed at night and the first one up in the morning.

Jaxon is four and loves using the computer and creating things with legos. He attends a preschool in town two days a week and loves to be outside. Jaxon will eat about anything, but his favorite thing is peanut butter on a spoon!

Gavin is two. He speaks only a few words, but was constantly asking "Mom? Dad?" Once reassured that they were in the mountains with Grampa, he was content. His activities of choice were blowing bubbles, swinging and playing in the sandpile. Several days he napped, but most it was go, go, go until he crashed after dinner!


I have figured out that, to really enjoy a week with the grandkids, I have to block out all unneccessary plans and not expect to accomplish much beyond getting through the day happily. We read books, went for walks, ate Otter Pops and Marshmallow Mateys, watched movies and played outside. We caught bugs and picked dandelions for the dragon. We filled the bath tub regularly and splashed lots of water everywhere. We played with play dough and drew lots of pictures. Every night was a camp out in the great room with blankets and pillows all over the place. Though there were the occasional moments of disaster or disagreement, the whole week was a wonderful chance for all of us get close. I loved it.



An extra added bonus was the fact that Sarah shot an elk in the middle of the day on her 30th birthday after several days of hard hunting. (You'll have to talk to her or Seth to get the details of the whole trip.) Some cowboys were nearby and offered to help get it to the truck and load it up, saving Sarah and Seth hours of work. They dropped the meat to a locker and were home before bedtime Friday evening.


So my time with the Weske boys came to an end and it's back to "normal" life (if you can ever say that things here are normal). There is nothing quite like being a grandmother, is there? This gift I offered to my children has really been a gift to myself. I look forward to Ben's children's turn....maybe in November.

"Fifty Makes You Think"

"Fifty makes you think. Thirty makes you morose, and forty makes you panic, but fifty makes you think. Half a century, and what is my life? Does it resemble anything I dreamed at sixteen, or expected at twenty or hoped at twenty-five? What am I doing here?...I thought of climbing to the top of a high mountain in Tibet to consult a wise man, but I like vacations where there is indoor plumbing and vegetation....Maybe I'd been missing a great fundamental truth....Well, come to find out, I had been missing something..."

So comments the main character of a great little book I read last week (The Route by Gale Sears). She finds herself searching for "something missing" in her life and, as a result, takes a route delivering lunches to home bound senior citizens each Thursday. The experiences she has along the way help her to find meaning in her life and recognize that, though her life did not turn out like she "dreamed" or "expected" or "hoped", it has been a life worth living.

Now, I didn't mean for this to be a book review. Rather, I wanted to comment on life in my fifties. Don't tell Seth I'm openly telling you I'm in my fifties. He has a thing about age and if I'm 53, well, I guess we know about where he is! Anyway, as I read The Route, I was prompted to ponder on my life and how I feel about where I've been and what I've done and how I've gone about it all. And, just for the record, I have to say I'm perfectly happy in my fifties.

I've never really felt one way or another about my age. Birthdays come and go. Life moves on. Turning 30 or 40 or 50 was not daunting or shattering for me. Age doesn't really have much to do with everyday living of life. We all, from the day we're born to the day we die, have things to learn and things to do and things to avoid and things to conquer and things to share and things to master. We all laugh and cry, succeed and fail, serve and are served. We all feel hope, fear, hunger, cold, anger, relief, curiosity, regret, peace, sorrow, joy, etc. Each stage of our existence is filled with experiences and choices that lead us into the next stage. And time goes by.

Our choices, of course, determine our direction in life. I suppose that it is a look at those choices and where I have "ended up" that have been the biggest part of my pondering over the last week. I've thought back through the years. I've remembered people and places and things that have taught me and helped me and hurt me and changed me. I've laughed and cried a bit. I've found many things I am proud of and a few things to regret. But mostly I have discovered a profound gratitude for each day of my 53 years of life. I wouldn't go back to 20 or 30 or 40 even if I could. I am who I am because of where I've been and how I've lived.

If "fifty makes you think" then think this: Be glad to have those fifty years and be grateful for every day that you get to live this incredible journey we call life. All too often, life is cut short. Hopes and dreams and plans cannot be realized. If you've passed fifty, you are one of the lucky ones.........like me.

Got some visiting to do....

with my mom, so you'll have to wait for this week's post until I get back home.
BE OF GOOD CHEER!!!

Cokeville Volleyball Tournament

We have survived another Cokeville High School volleyball tournament. Twelve teams play in the tourney, some going home each night and some camping out at the schools and park and motel. There is really a mob of people around for all day Friday and Saturday.

"Our" girls from Gillette (they've stayed with us all eight years we've owned the place) arrived Thursday night after 8 1/2 hours on the bus and promptly filled the motel rooms and game room and hot tub. Their enthusiasm was catchy. Many of them have been here three years. It was like welcoming family. Fun.

Mariah and the other cheerleaders use the weekend as a fund raiser, filling the concession stand with lots of good food to sell. With the Flying J restaurant closed, it was especially important this year. I went over Thursday afternoon to help make sloppy joes and cinnamon rolls and brownies and rice krispie treats and baked potatoes. They offered lots of other pre-made stuff like pizza, nachos, hot dogs, candy and pop, etc. Because there are only four fall cheerleaders (the others play volleyball), this was quite an undertaking. But they did well, both with the work and with the income.

Seth and I (especially Seth) spent what time we could at the games cheering for both Cokeville and Gillette. Cokeville is the smallest school (BY FAR) and they did really well this year, placing 4th I think. Gillette hung in there for 5th or sixth inspite of several injuries, one quite serious (Seth was there to stand in for the girl's dad, giving assistance where he could and rounding up some crutches). The tournament is set up so that the JV teams play right before each varsity matchup. Their results are not part of the competition, but it gives them a chance to play as a team, too. This is the first tournament of the year for all the schools and the opportunity to be part of it is coveted.

I am continually amazed at how well the girls play, even the youngest. It's WAY different from when I played "back in the day" on junior high/high school/church teams. We just rotated around and tried to keep the ball in the air, with a few attempted spikes! These girls are well trained, serious, skilled athletes. It is really fun to watch.

By 10 pm last night they were all gone again. The concession stand was cleaned and empty. The custodians were finishing up the last tasks and locking up the doors of the school. Motel reservations were already made for next year's event. Seth had waved goodbye to the Gillette girls and retrieved the borrowed crutches. Mariah came home, glad to sit down. Then we all had to smile..........it was so quiet.