A Stocking full of Thoughts
I should be working on the 3 posts I've begun. But I'm not.
Here's what I'm thinking about:
*Kids and parents. I had a phone call this morning: a parent wanting to discuss and keep tabs on their daughter. Isn't that the best? Know what I learned? 1) Parenting a teenage daughter is difficult. (I say "daughter" because my teenage son is easier to parent than my daughters. Age? Maybe. Personality? Undoubtedly.) Anyway, I love hearing from parents about their kids. Lets me know how much they care and how hard they're trying to do what's right. I wonder if Heavenly Father feels that way; He obviously works a lot harder at parenting than we can conceptualize, and, like our teenagers, sometimes we fail to even acknowledge His efforts, or thank Him.
*Abuse. Collyn Ray's song says, "I think about you, eight years old, big blue eyes and a heart of gold, when I look at this world, I think about you, and I can't help but see that evey woman used to be somebody's little girl." (All of this was alluding to abuse mentioned previoulsy in the song.) Sometimes I hear this song or have a discussion with a friend or listen to a talk at church or volunteer at school and I am overcome by the fact that my life has always been pretty darn good. I've been taken advantage of by almost no one; I had great parents who loved me and I have a husband who has never hit or belittled anyone. I take these things for granted. My heart aches for those who don't have this luxury.
*Work. I'm blessed to have my job. I love the fact that I can learn and grow. I'm preparing to take my CEU exams and I love being able to study what I want, when I want. (Well, kind of...the deadlines are approaching!) I should probably work more when Corbin goes to school, but I hate the thought of changing jobs to do that. (I have plans....I'll see if they're realistic after I talk to the powers-that-be.)
*Family. My mom's parents' anniversary was Dec. 4th. If they were still here they would've celebrated their 71st anniversary. They dated for a few years before they were married, so they've spent their entire lives together, first in Vermont, then in New York, then in Arizona, and, finally, in a condo and then a nursing home near Den and Sue in Sandy. The more I learn about them and think about their lives, the more I'm convinced that they were truly amazing. (And that a good portion of Jimmer's athletic talent is Fredette related. My grandmother was an athlete in her own right.)
I'm also thinking about my cousin (in-law), Jenny Fredette, who is my age and had a double mastectomy two weeks ago. She's still recovering and waiting to discover exactly how far the cancer spread and what her treatment will be. I get emotional evey time I think about her and Bill and their girls.
Also in my thoughts are my dad's parents; his father, whom I never knew but love completely, would've been 89 in November had he lived beyond his 48th birthday. Most of his sisters have joined him in the Spirit world now. I know he's teaching them the gospel because I know that he embraced it fully. I also know I should ask permission to do the temple work for my great-aunts. I'll get there.
With thoughts of my Droddy and Clegg relatives, my mind turns to my cousin, Lauren Droddy, who will be the third of my Droddy cousins to marry when she says "I do" on New Year's Eve--in the same church her parents and sister were married in in Andover, Vermont. (Never mind that my Uncle Drew's family moved to South Carolina before Lauren was born. That Vermont pull is strong enough to pull those Southern Gals back!) And, finally, my thoughts turn to the Florida trip we're planning in 2013, which will include stops to see all of my great relatives. I can't wait. But for now, real life awaits. Better get busy.
Here's what I'm thinking about:
*Kids and parents. I had a phone call this morning: a parent wanting to discuss and keep tabs on their daughter. Isn't that the best? Know what I learned? 1) Parenting a teenage daughter is difficult. (I say "daughter" because my teenage son is easier to parent than my daughters. Age? Maybe. Personality? Undoubtedly.) Anyway, I love hearing from parents about their kids. Lets me know how much they care and how hard they're trying to do what's right. I wonder if Heavenly Father feels that way; He obviously works a lot harder at parenting than we can conceptualize, and, like our teenagers, sometimes we fail to even acknowledge His efforts, or thank Him.
*Abuse. Collyn Ray's song says, "I think about you, eight years old, big blue eyes and a heart of gold, when I look at this world, I think about you, and I can't help but see that evey woman used to be somebody's little girl." (All of this was alluding to abuse mentioned previoulsy in the song.) Sometimes I hear this song or have a discussion with a friend or listen to a talk at church or volunteer at school and I am overcome by the fact that my life has always been pretty darn good. I've been taken advantage of by almost no one; I had great parents who loved me and I have a husband who has never hit or belittled anyone. I take these things for granted. My heart aches for those who don't have this luxury.
*Work. I'm blessed to have my job. I love the fact that I can learn and grow. I'm preparing to take my CEU exams and I love being able to study what I want, when I want. (Well, kind of...the deadlines are approaching!) I should probably work more when Corbin goes to school, but I hate the thought of changing jobs to do that. (I have plans....I'll see if they're realistic after I talk to the powers-that-be.)
*Family. My mom's parents' anniversary was Dec. 4th. If they were still here they would've celebrated their 71st anniversary. They dated for a few years before they were married, so they've spent their entire lives together, first in Vermont, then in New York, then in Arizona, and, finally, in a condo and then a nursing home near Den and Sue in Sandy. The more I learn about them and think about their lives, the more I'm convinced that they were truly amazing. (And that a good portion of Jimmer's athletic talent is Fredette related. My grandmother was an athlete in her own right.)
I'm also thinking about my cousin (in-law), Jenny Fredette, who is my age and had a double mastectomy two weeks ago. She's still recovering and waiting to discover exactly how far the cancer spread and what her treatment will be. I get emotional evey time I think about her and Bill and their girls.
Also in my thoughts are my dad's parents; his father, whom I never knew but love completely, would've been 89 in November had he lived beyond his 48th birthday. Most of his sisters have joined him in the Spirit world now. I know he's teaching them the gospel because I know that he embraced it fully. I also know I should ask permission to do the temple work for my great-aunts. I'll get there.
With thoughts of my Droddy and Clegg relatives, my mind turns to my cousin, Lauren Droddy, who will be the third of my Droddy cousins to marry when she says "I do" on New Year's Eve--in the same church her parents and sister were married in in Andover, Vermont. (Never mind that my Uncle Drew's family moved to South Carolina before Lauren was born. That Vermont pull is strong enough to pull those Southern Gals back!) And, finally, my thoughts turn to the Florida trip we're planning in 2013, which will include stops to see all of my great relatives. I can't wait. But for now, real life awaits. Better get busy.
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