Ups and Downs

The week before last was a really good week. I got sleep at night, I was exercising, I was reading a lot, I felt on top of all of my responsibilities. I was full of gratitude.

Last week was not so good. I had a very sick baby which means not so good sleep which means sleeping in as much as possible in the morning instead of waking early to read and pray and journal. I did not feel on top of things and I did not exercise every day. It ended in St. George Friday night with a baby who did not sleep THE ENTIRE NIGHT. Matt and I felt like zombies and I was cursing and hating everything I could think of, even God.

Why do we so easily forget the blessings and good moments of life when we are faced with the bad ones? How can I ride out those bad days and difficult moments without feeling so witchy?

I read Thomas S. Monson's general conference article from November 2008 and he addresses this very problem. These are words from a prophet speaking directly to me about my concerns.

He says time marches on… "Day by day, minute by minute, second by second we went from where we were to where we are now." And with the passage of time comes change. "This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now."

Specifically for parents he says, "If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly." This is hard for me to believe right now but it must be true.

He quotes Sarah Ban Breathnach, "Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend…when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."

I am thankful today for this article from the prophet. I'm thankful that he spoke these words and that I can read them and be uplifted by them today. I'm thankful for real answers and insights to my real concerns and problems.

What am I thankful for? A sweet juicy orange for a mid-afternoon snack, healthy and creative children, a full night's sleep, books to read, family that loves me, a most excellent husband, quiet time to read and write, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Oh yeah, and the prophet!