Thoughts From Em

The other morning, I was still getting ready for the day when Ailee started fussing in her crib. Maryn was up-n-at-em, so I told her, "I bet you can't make Ailee laugh!" Being her "resistant" self (I have discovered that is the best word to describe her), she cannot turn down a challenge. Moments later, I could hear the two of them in Ailee's room, in fits of giggles.

Now, if that isn't the best sound to start the day off with, I don't know what is. Someday I need to get it on video, without them knowing, so that on the badly sort of days I can listen to it over and over. Sitting in the corner with my knees tucked up to my chest, rocking back and forth, and chanting to myself, "I'm not gonna go crazy" just isn't working.

The reason I thought of this, was because of the lesson from Relief Society today. I will be honest with you all--you are my friends, and hopefully you won't turn me in. I have no idea what the lesson was about. I wasn't listening at all. I was completely zoned out, thinking about something else, instead. However, I was struck by a comment that one of the women, a visitor in our ward, said. It was, "We should teach our children to be joyful."

We try to get our children into the best schools. We work hard to teach them how to be responsible, and raise them to be good adults. We want to give them the finest clothes and toys and things to make them happy--But, really we can never give them any magical "thing" that will make them joyful people. The best we can do is to help them find joy in what they have.

Maryn loves Caterpillars. Several weeks ago, she found one crawling on the driveway. I got a glass jar for her, and we filled it with leaves and sticks. The next morning, when we came outside, the caterpillar had made a cocoon. Maryn was very excited the her caterpillar was going to become a butterfly. That glass jar became her favorite playmate out on the porch. Even after the caterpillar had emerged and flown away (though I was sad we missed it), she didn't care. In her mind, she had a great thing, and she loved taking care of it.

Toys come and toys go. The only thing that stays the same for our children is family, especially as members of the church. Now, if only she could have as much fun with her sister as she did with that glass jar...

January 2009