Actual Relief

Relief Society. I have been saying those two words together all my life. So much so that they often lose their meaning to me. My mother was in the Relief Society all my growing up. I am in the Relief Society. It means so much to me, in so many ways. All that is good about my life I owe in no small part to the Relief Society.

Today was the Relief Society activity and luncheon. Of course I have planned to go all along. But this morning, I really wanted to sleep a little longer. I wanted to not haul myself and my baby all the way to the stake center and home again.

I went anyway. 

It was absolutely worth it. I am so glad I pried myself off the mattress and went. What a wonderful morning! I love how I feel after each and every Relief Society event. It is such true relief for my spirit.  I am grateful for the Relief Society in my life, and for my Relief Society sisters. They teach me so much. 

What are you blessed with today? 

Make New Friends

When I moved five years ago, it was hard to be "the new girl". It didn't last forever, but it took me a while to get my bearings. I am so glad for my church community, which made everything much more bearable.

One woman I met right off (because she invited my family to dinner our first week here!) dragged me to a moms group that met in the park all summer. I didn't want to go, but I did want to meet new people.

Meet new people indeed. But I don't see any of them anymore. Some of them never connected. Some of them moved away (including the woman who took me in the first place). Some of them, well, I am not sure what happened to them all.

Except one.

She and I have bumped into each other over and over. At the store, in the Library, at our husbands' place of mutual employment. Once, she even looked me up in the phone book and drove over to my house to give me some adorable and much-needed hand-me-downs. We're not merely acquaintances anymore, but we've never really had the opportunity to invest in a friendship.

Recently, she found me on facebook. I was elated. I like her a lot, but I always feel awkward reaching out, because I don't want to be too pushy or overbearing. So when she reached out to me, I was so happy. Then, she did what I was dying to do, and asked if she could come over and hang out one afternoon. Of course!

But then kids got sick. And we had a blizzard that basically shut down the town. So she couldn't come over.

This week, she asked if we could try again. I am ashamed to say I didn't ask first. I really like her, and I am flattered (in a childish, third-grade sort of way) that she keeps seeking me out. So we rescheduled for Saturday afternoon.

I had a Relief Society thing in the morning. In fact, I got home only about 20 minutes before she knocked on the door. But I didn't want to reschedule again. And I definitely didn't want her to think I was stalling just to be polite. So I said "Yes! Please come!"

We had such a wonderful visit this afternoon. I learned a lot about her, she learned a lot about me. We talked and talked and talked like long-lost high school chums. It was great.

She finally had to go because her youngest was going into delayed-nap meltdown. I was sad to see her go. I am thankful for the opportunity to make new friends. It still feels the same way it did when I was an awkward teenager, finding someone interesting, that I like, who likes me, too.

What are you blessed with today?

At Risk of Being Redundant

I don't think I can post 365 different blogs of gratitude without going on and on about my husband. He is so good to me. I don't want to be redundant or schmaltzy, but I can't help it. He makes me happy, and I am really, truly grateful for him.

And a lot of the things that I am thankful for can be traced directly back to him.

Take this evening. My husband is Old Faithful when it comes to date night. He never misses. He takes me out every Friday. And if something comes up on a Friday that can't be helped, he makes it a point to take me out on a different night that week. Just so long as I get to go out with him once a week, I don't care. But sometimes it's twice a week. I'm so lucky blessed.

Anyway. This evening. He swooped in the door promptly at five o'clock, asking if I was ready to go. Did I want to do my hair? Or change? Alright, let's go!

I was clueless as to what he had in mind, but he was about vibrating with excitement. I was wondering why, because we were broke...not a lot of exciting things to do in town when one is broke. But he had a secret up his sleeve: our tax return had been plunked into our account that afternoon.

I had no idea. But he took me shopping. He insisted that I get some long-awaited, much-needed things for just me. I tried to protest the price and the opportunity cost, but he would hear none of it. He took me three different places. Then we went out to a movie. And then out to eat. It was hard for me to sit back and let him pamper me. I had to purposefully NOT tally up the cost in my head, and let just let the evening happen as he had planned.

It was great. He is great. I am grateful. At risk of being redundant, I am so so grateful for my husband (with or without a tax return!). He is a good man, and a gentleman. And he takes such joy in pampering me. I don't deserve it. I am one long list of reasons as to why. But I am grateful all the same.

What are you blessed with today?

Buck Up

Well, I think it is fairly apparent that giving myself permission to not blog on the actual day of thanks was tantamount to telling my subconsciousness that I was totally off the hook.

I stayed up very late that night, doing a week's worth of gratitude posts. I caught myself up, was back on track, and was feeling pretty good. I went to bed, with it all mentally checked off my list.

I did not think about this blog again for three days.

So. Changing plans again. I am just going to have to buck up and hold myself accountable on this one. Apparently, "holding myself accountable" will need to take the form of not allowing myself to post a day's worth of gratitude after the fact. Unless I come up with a better way to remind myself and stay in the saddle. Until then, here I go again, catching up on my thankful heart. I must say, I am glad this is a free-form thing. I am grateful that I have the flexibility to do what works for me. And I am determined to see this through!