I love receiving letters.
On Friday, I had a jackpot mail day. Two letters from two nieces! It was wonderful. They drew me pictures, which now hang on my fridge. And they sent me lots of love in their letters. Those kinds of days make me happy I'm an aunt, happy to get the mail, and just overall happy.
I love sending letters, too.
Today, my SIL called to tell me that my other niece was really excited about the letter I sent her. She was so happy she blew me kisses halfway across the country to say thank you. It was fun to hear how a little time spent writing some thoughts and love down on paper could make someone's day!
So, when you're having a lonely day or feeling in need of some encouragement, write a letter and make someone feel special, loved, and cared for.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Service, Part III
It doesn't have to be a big thing.
Just a little thing will do.
Like tonight,
When my friend agreed
To pick me up from home
And drive me to the church
Five minutes away
Because there was nowhere
(And I mean NOWHERE!)
In that neighborhood to park.
(At least not legally.)
A small thing?
Yes.
An unimportant one?
No way.
Thanks, my friend.
You made a difference tonight.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Service, Part II
In a departure from the normal Labor Day activities of lounging around the house doing absolutely nothing or going shopping for things I don't need (but are on sale!), I joined up with the group affectionately known as the CRDub Service Club (aka my ward, coordinated by its service committee) to head to Vermont and help people whose homes had been flooded during Hurricane/Tropical Storm (but still disastrous) Irene.
There were about 25 of us. That was awesome. They really weren't sure what to do with all of us (in part because we did not all come with rubber boots, shovels, gloves, and a willingness to get covered in mud, as instructed). One entire street of about 25 homes was completely devastated, with craters where backyards used to be, mud in practically every basement (and everywhere else), and in some cases, no basement at all, because the foundation was completely washed away.
I helped where I could, and the bulk of the real work I did involved scraping wallpaper off a home that had been flooded and needed to be completely gutted before being put back together. I thought of that Primary song, "When we're helping, we're happy..." and felt glad I could do something useful to assist, even if it was humid and hot and the latex gloves (because I forgot my useful ones) made my hands sweat more than the entire rest of my body while I was working. As a matter of fact, I didn't even mind all that, because I have a home and food storage and a car that runs and a place to sleep tonight and a job and the Gospel, and there is basically nothing wrong with my life. So I was just glad I could make a difference in the lives of the few people we helped, and hoped there were 400 other people as willing as I was who would come along after and keep helping, since I had to come home and go back to work tomorrow.
Seeing the devastation made me want to quit my job and become a humanitarian aid organizer, someone who could come in after a disaster and rally the troops and organize communications and collect donations and provide food and restore order and peace in the lives of people who had just lost everything.
Makes everything else I do seem sort of mundane.
There were about 25 of us. That was awesome. They really weren't sure what to do with all of us (in part because we did not all come with rubber boots, shovels, gloves, and a willingness to get covered in mud, as instructed). One entire street of about 25 homes was completely devastated, with craters where backyards used to be, mud in practically every basement (and everywhere else), and in some cases, no basement at all, because the foundation was completely washed away.
I helped where I could, and the bulk of the real work I did involved scraping wallpaper off a home that had been flooded and needed to be completely gutted before being put back together. I thought of that Primary song, "When we're helping, we're happy..." and felt glad I could do something useful to assist, even if it was humid and hot and the latex gloves (because I forgot my useful ones) made my hands sweat more than the entire rest of my body while I was working. As a matter of fact, I didn't even mind all that, because I have a home and food storage and a car that runs and a place to sleep tonight and a job and the Gospel, and there is basically nothing wrong with my life. So I was just glad I could make a difference in the lives of the few people we helped, and hoped there were 400 other people as willing as I was who would come along after and keep helping, since I had to come home and go back to work tomorrow.
Seeing the devastation made me want to quit my job and become a humanitarian aid organizer, someone who could come in after a disaster and rally the troops and organize communications and collect donations and provide food and restore order and peace in the lives of people who had just lost everything.
Makes everything else I do seem sort of mundane.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Service Is Awesome
This begins what will hopefully be a two (or more) part series.
Part One.
As you may have figured out by now, I spend the first Saturday of nearly every month in the temple. No matter how hard it is to get out of bed (and it has been a little tricky lately), I am always ALWAYS glad I got myself up and moving when I go to the temple. Yesterday was no exception. It was a very busy day, but I was able to help three women who were coming to the temple for the first time. Let me tell you, Heavenly Father poured out His Spirit upon those women. I love being the vehicle through which the Spirit can work. It is a life-changing and profound experience. Every time I serve, I feel how much He loves the people I am serving, and I feel how much He loves me. That happened two more times that afternoon, as I gave of myself to others. Then I met briefly with a few teenagers who were coming to be sealed as part of an eternal family. I think it's awesome when little kids have that privilege; it is even more awesome when older kids come! These teens were just wonderful people. And they came worthy and ready to make their family an eternal family. I played an infinitesimally small part in that process, but it still had the power to change my life. Working in the temple brings such great joy into my heart!
There is good in this world. I love being a part of it.
Part One.
As you may have figured out by now, I spend the first Saturday of nearly every month in the temple. No matter how hard it is to get out of bed (and it has been a little tricky lately), I am always ALWAYS glad I got myself up and moving when I go to the temple. Yesterday was no exception. It was a very busy day, but I was able to help three women who were coming to the temple for the first time. Let me tell you, Heavenly Father poured out His Spirit upon those women. I love being the vehicle through which the Spirit can work. It is a life-changing and profound experience. Every time I serve, I feel how much He loves the people I am serving, and I feel how much He loves me. That happened two more times that afternoon, as I gave of myself to others. Then I met briefly with a few teenagers who were coming to be sealed as part of an eternal family. I think it's awesome when little kids have that privilege; it is even more awesome when older kids come! These teens were just wonderful people. And they came worthy and ready to make their family an eternal family. I played an infinitesimally small part in that process, but it still had the power to change my life. Working in the temple brings such great joy into my heart!
There is good in this world. I love being a part of it.
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