What I know for sure, isn’t a lot. I do know the more love you give others, the more you will have yourself. I am so grateful to be learning this simple truth. I guess everyone can count their losses, I mean I sure can. The key is to open your eyes and look at others around you, there are opportunities everywhere to lift someones sad spirits. It can be as simple as a smile, or saying hello, or choosing to be patient with your children when they are arguing in the car incessantly, or saying yes to lead the music in Relief Society a lot of the time even if you’re not very good at it.
I have been trying to count my blessings and really LOOK at those around me that need help. There have been so many opportunities to lift the feeble hands that hang down. I think everyone has a day like that here and there. I have tried hard to notice, instead of being caught up in my own troubles. Sometimes I have insomnia like tonight, my children are safe and so happy. It was a long day to say the least, there are things that worry me. The answer is to love, when your tired love. When you have had a long day at work and your kids come running and cling to you because its been four looong days since you’ve been able to hold them, you cling back and give love. When all you want to do is go home and clean your house, get in the tub and go to bed but you have a friend who is hurting and needs you to go to a singles party you really don’t want to go to, you go to support her and give love. Or you end up at a town council meeting to support a friend after a long day at work because THAT IS WHAT FRIENDS DO, and you know she would do it for you in a heartbeat. Or maybe your Mom is worried about Grandma because everyone is out of town, who will check on Grandma??? Then, a wonderful opportunity arises to take your sweet Grandma out to a magnificent concert, which really blesses YOU because the music lifts your spirit and reminds you who you really are. When your dizzy because your so tired, you know that you should make a healthy home cooked meal for your family, you strap on that apron and make it out of love. When you don’t think you can do much more but you have cub scout pack meeting and you would REALLY just like to sit down for a minute….you put your shoes on and walk down to the park with your kids racing ahead happily on their scooters and then you are filled with love and strength to keep going. This is a regular occurrence for me, when I do my best I am rewarded with just what I need to get through. I am given golden nuggets of my children’s laughter or both of them clinging to my sides as we walk into a store, or two great little snugglers as we nestle down to read scriptures before bed. Or when you get to FINALLY sit down and EAT that dinner after cub scouts and play the “Best/Worst” part of your day game your kids always say the best part of their day is coming home to see you. You SEE, and you realize you didn’t really do anything special. You learned to live love and by living love, you love living.