You know, I am truly grateful for so many things. It has been a great experience putting them down in words, but I am also truly grateful to be at the end of this 30-day list of things. Like Marily, I'm grateful for lists. I use them to know what to get when I go shopping, to keep track of some things, to make sure I don't forget other things, and for the obvious extrinsic benefit of seeing things actually checked off from them. It's therapeutic!
Every day, there are so many things I give silent thanks for, and perhaps I should write these things down on a more regular basis, but keeping a journal of any type has never been my forte'. I give quiet thanks all day, every day, for the many things that come my way to be grateful for, but I don't usually write them down.
There are many things I'm good at, but keeping a personal history or diary isn't one of them. I wish it was. There are so many things in my life, good and not-so-good, that I probably should have chronicled for posterity, but it just didn't happen. Maybe, when I get less busy (haha), I'll start re-creating some of those events. (not!) I know myself. That's one thing I'm good at, and I know that writing stuff down is not one of the things I'm good at. I truly hope someday to change that, but it's not lookin' like it will be any time soon. The Lord knows what is in my heart, so I'm hoping He'll help me to remember things, so I can eventually write them down.
Suffice it to say, I have difficulties in my life that I have to deal with constantly. Who doesn't? But, I have so many things to be grateful for that 30 days is not sufficient to list them.
No, I don't plan to continue doing a day of thanks in this blog forever, even though it wouldn't hurt if I did. You can see that it took me like more than 2 years to get around to finishing the last 10 days of this list. One reason for this is the fact that it takes time to put down into words the way I feel about my children, and obviously, I can't do 30 days of thanks without spending a day on each one of them.
My life has been full of adventure, learning, and doing, along with many trials and hardships. I'm not a "sit-around-and-do-nothing" kind of person. I never will be one of those. I suppose that the fact I'm in my third year of a 5-year college plan, to start a new career, is proof enough of that. I love people, and I LOVE making and doing things. I'm so grateful that I am still physically able to keep making and doing things.
I just pray I'm always able to do so.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Day 29: I'm Thankful for Transportation
I am so thankful to be able to get around. Despite the whole not-having-a-car, for a really long time, I am able to get around town and get to things and places I need or want to.
I am able to have a bus/rail pass from school that is no longer free, but seriously inexpensive at only $40 per semester, and $25 for the whole summer. The bus situation in Mesa is pretty dire, but manageable most of the time. The light rail is really fun, and I have gotten well-acquainted with it through traveling to Phoenix's Downtown ASU campus for the past 3 semesters.
My classes for my college minor, Nonprofit Management, are all at the downtown campus. I have a few things to finish up an "incomplete" in 2 classes, and I'll be DONE with my minor classes. Yay! I'm thankful for that, too!G
I'm also very grateful to my amazing and loving son, Jeremiah, who has faithfully picked me up at the ASU Business College after my Monday night accounting class for the ENTIRE spring semester. When I learned that this "required" class was only given at night, I asked him if he had the time, and would be willing, to be my ride home on Monday nights. There is no bus going north on Stapley Drive in Mesa after 6:30 PM, so I either had to figure out some way to get home, or not take the class.
Thankfully, he was not only able, but was also willing. It has been a very fun and special experience enjoying those Monday night times to visit with him, catch up on things, and sometimes go by Taco Bell for food on the way home.
Jeremiah, you are my hero! Thanks so much! That class was REALLY HARD! I'm glad that class is over with, and I got a B!
Woo hoo!
I am able to have a bus/rail pass from school that is no longer free, but seriously inexpensive at only $40 per semester, and $25 for the whole summer. The bus situation in Mesa is pretty dire, but manageable most of the time. The light rail is really fun, and I have gotten well-acquainted with it through traveling to Phoenix's Downtown ASU campus for the past 3 semesters.
My classes for my college minor, Nonprofit Management, are all at the downtown campus. I have a few things to finish up an "incomplete" in 2 classes, and I'll be DONE with my minor classes. Yay! I'm thankful for that, too!G
I'm also very grateful to my amazing and loving son, Jeremiah, who has faithfully picked me up at the ASU Business College after my Monday night accounting class for the ENTIRE spring semester. When I learned that this "required" class was only given at night, I asked him if he had the time, and would be willing, to be my ride home on Monday nights. There is no bus going north on Stapley Drive in Mesa after 6:30 PM, so I either had to figure out some way to get home, or not take the class.
Thankfully, he was not only able, but was also willing. It has been a very fun and special experience enjoying those Monday night times to visit with him, catch up on things, and sometimes go by Taco Bell for food on the way home.
Jeremiah, you are my hero! Thanks so much! That class was REALLY HARD! I'm glad that class is over with, and I got a B!
Woo hoo!
Day 27: I'm Thankful for Being Able to Give Thanks!
I have been given so many blessings, and I'm so glad that I was taught as a child how to give thanks! Being thankful is something that we all probably need to get better at.
I have a great family of six fabulous children, their 4 spouses (so far), and a great bunch of grandchildren.
I have my mother that I can visit and talk with, although my dad has been gone for several years, now. I miss him.
I have a place to live and food and clothes.
I am able to go to school at ASU, to pursue a college degree (finally).
I am able to attend classes at the ASU LDS Institute, and bolster my knowledge and testimony of the Gospel.
I am able to attend the Temple nearly every Saturday, and feel the presence of my Heavenly Father.
I have my two very cute mini-Dachshunds that are a joy in my life.
I can still walk and get out and do things I enjoy.
I have many more blessings too numerous to list.
I am so grateful for everything!
I have a great family of six fabulous children, their 4 spouses (so far), and a great bunch of grandchildren.
I have my mother that I can visit and talk with, although my dad has been gone for several years, now. I miss him.
I have a place to live and food and clothes.
I am able to go to school at ASU, to pursue a college degree (finally).
I am able to attend classes at the ASU LDS Institute, and bolster my knowledge and testimony of the Gospel.
I am able to attend the Temple nearly every Saturday, and feel the presence of my Heavenly Father.
I have my two very cute mini-Dachshunds that are a joy in my life.
I can still walk and get out and do things I enjoy.
I have many more blessings too numerous to list.
I am so grateful for everything!
Day 28: I'm Thankful for Food!
Food is Good! I'm so grateful for all the amazing things there are to eat! Pizza, hamburgers, fried chicken, steak, baked potatoes, salads of all kinds, and veggies! I love to eat, and I love to cook food! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days, since there is so much cooking of, and eating of, great food!
Families get together and share a meal and life experiences, and just catch up with what each of them is doing. It's a great time.
Christmas, birthdays, and many other holidays and special occasions have built into them the sharing and eating of FOOD! Food comforts the soul, while it feeds the body. Many holidays and Holy Days are intertwined with rituals and festivities involving food.
There is nothing like a good meal, especially a great home-cooked meal.
So, let's all get together and eat! Yay for food!
Families get together and share a meal and life experiences, and just catch up with what each of them is doing. It's a great time.
Christmas, birthdays, and many other holidays and special occasions have built into them the sharing and eating of FOOD! Food comforts the soul, while it feeds the body. Many holidays and Holy Days are intertwined with rituals and festivities involving food.
There is nothing like a good meal, especially a great home-cooked meal.
So, let's all get together and eat! Yay for food!
Day 26: I'm Thankful for Flowers!
Flowers are so beautiful! Roses, tulips, gardenias, hollyhocks, sweet peas, phlox, verbena - the list is almost endless! My favorite flower is the Passion Flower. Although it isn't a well-known flower, I love it because it supposedly reflects the life of Jesus. It is a perfectly symmetrical flower that is so waxy, that it looks like an artificial flower. It grows on a vine that makes a great trellis cover, and can shade the hot side of the house really well. They come in quite a few colors, but my favorite is the original color scheme of purple and green that I once had growing on the west side of my little house when my family was young, and I only had three little girls, at that time. (Photo taken by Amanda)I also love gardenias and roses, along with Butterfly Orchids. Butterfly orchids grow on a tree that is so named because of its butterfly-shaped leaves. When the trees are in bloom, they are covered with beautiful flowers that resemble orchids, and smell heavenly.
As a child, my family home had a butterfly orchid tree with white blossoms growing outside my brothers' bedroom window. I would climb up and sit it the branches for hours, crafting leis from the flowers. They looked a lot like the leis you can get when you go to Hawaii. I actually did get a real Hawaiian lei, once. My high school boyfriend's sister's boyfriend (figure that out) went to Hawaii for the summer, and brought back a lei for his girlfriend and for me. It was so beautiful, and really cool of him, too.
Anyway, the world would not be nearly as beautiful without flowers in it.
Day 25: I'm Thankful for Kerami
Kerami is the youngest of the family, the last of six, but certainly not the least important! I can truthfully say that I have no "favorite" child. There are things about each one of them that I love and value, and each is such a joy to me.
Kerami was such a bright and happy baby. She is smart, pretty, and loves nice things. She has a discerning eye for beauty, and a discerning heart for spiritual beauty. I believe that all my children have inherited the gift of being able to discern spirits - that is, to be near a person and to feel the lightness or darkness of their hearts. Kerami has worked to magnify this gift.
I'm so proud of her as she prepares to go on a mission. She will be the only one of the five sisters to fulfill a full-time mission as a single, young woman. All four of her older sisters are already fulfilling missions of the "motherhood" type, and doing a great job at that!
Kerami loves the gospel, and is a loving and loyal friend. She truly cares about those around her and their happiness. She also has a joy of learning, although she is still young, and has not had the opportunity to expand on this much, as yet.
I'm so proud to me her mother. She knows that I love her, and will do anything I can to help her any way needed. If I can do it, I will.
Kerami, thanks for choosing me to be your mother. I love you!
Kerami was such a bright and happy baby. She is smart, pretty, and loves nice things. She has a discerning eye for beauty, and a discerning heart for spiritual beauty. I believe that all my children have inherited the gift of being able to discern spirits - that is, to be near a person and to feel the lightness or darkness of their hearts. Kerami has worked to magnify this gift.
I'm so proud of her as she prepares to go on a mission. She will be the only one of the five sisters to fulfill a full-time mission as a single, young woman. All four of her older sisters are already fulfilling missions of the "motherhood" type, and doing a great job at that!
Kerami loves the gospel, and is a loving and loyal friend. She truly cares about those around her and their happiness. She also has a joy of learning, although she is still young, and has not had the opportunity to expand on this much, as yet.
I'm so proud to me her mother. She knows that I love her, and will do anything I can to help her any way needed. If I can do it, I will.
Kerami, thanks for choosing me to be your mother. I love you!
Day 24: I'm Thankful for Jeremiah
As the prophet Jeremiah of old, this young Jeremiah is a man of faith. He loves God, and doing His work. He loves Jesus Christ and being His emissary. Jeremiah has a heart that loves unconditionally, and finds joy in service to all those around him.
Jeremiah is the fifth in the family - and the only boy. When he was a baby, he was often called "The Boy." He is a mother's perfect description of what any mom would want in her son. That is not to say he is perfect, although he works hard to do what's right in his life.
As a young child, he was really good at taking things apart - like the lawnmower, when he was only 2-1/2! I KNEW, though, that someday he would learn to put things back together! Now, he is working towards his degree as a mechanical engineer.
Yup, they all come "pre-wired" for who they are going to be. It's our job as parents to somehow figure out how to guide these little people in the direction the Lord wants them to go, until they decide to guide themselves there. Also, to pray for them, when they decide to go in another direction, entirely.
Jeremiah is a GOOD SON, and great friend to all who know him. His spirit is ageless, and he is able to translate this into the ability to befriend anyone - from infants to older adults - in personal friends. He truly LOVES everyone.
Jeremiah prepared himself to be able to serve a faithful full-time mission. His love of the Lord is still constantly shown in his life. He is a faithful home teacher, and now spends his Saturday afternoons and evenings as a Temple worker, helping with all the duties he is asked to perform, as he helps the rest of us to attend and do the work for those who were once on the earth, but cannot now do their own ordinance work. His life is an example and a blessing to me, and to many others.
Jeremiah, thanks for all you do for me and others. Thanks for the rides to places. Thanks for the ride home from accounting class for a WHOLE SEMESTER of Monday nights.
Thank you for choosing to be MY son. I respect you, and who you are, and who you are becoming. I love you!
Jeremiah is the fifth in the family - and the only boy. When he was a baby, he was often called "The Boy." He is a mother's perfect description of what any mom would want in her son. That is not to say he is perfect, although he works hard to do what's right in his life.
As a young child, he was really good at taking things apart - like the lawnmower, when he was only 2-1/2! I KNEW, though, that someday he would learn to put things back together! Now, he is working towards his degree as a mechanical engineer.
Yup, they all come "pre-wired" for who they are going to be. It's our job as parents to somehow figure out how to guide these little people in the direction the Lord wants them to go, until they decide to guide themselves there. Also, to pray for them, when they decide to go in another direction, entirely.
Jeremiah is a GOOD SON, and great friend to all who know him. His spirit is ageless, and he is able to translate this into the ability to befriend anyone - from infants to older adults - in personal friends. He truly LOVES everyone.
Jeremiah prepared himself to be able to serve a faithful full-time mission. His love of the Lord is still constantly shown in his life. He is a faithful home teacher, and now spends his Saturday afternoons and evenings as a Temple worker, helping with all the duties he is asked to perform, as he helps the rest of us to attend and do the work for those who were once on the earth, but cannot now do their own ordinance work. His life is an example and a blessing to me, and to many others.
Jeremiah, thanks for all you do for me and others. Thanks for the rides to places. Thanks for the ride home from accounting class for a WHOLE SEMESTER of Monday nights.
Thank you for choosing to be MY son. I respect you, and who you are, and who you are becoming. I love you!
Day 23: I'm Thankful for Bethany
"Bethany, Bethany, Bethany, Bethany. Life is but a dream."
This is what Marily sang when she was little. "Why do they always sing my name? Why can't they sing someone else's name?" I thought it was pretty cute, but she didn't!
Bethany is the fourth child in the family. She is a bright, happy, loving, kind, and very intelligent person. Born in December, she was also such a bright light during the Christmas season that year, that for the first time, I actually understood a tiny bit what Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have felt at His birth.
Having 3 children already, I was a lot more relaxed, less harried, and more understanding that although the house needs cleaning, etc., the children will not wait, and will grow up whether or not the dust bunnies are still under the couch. It is best to enjoy them while they are still little. Watching your children learn, discover, and grow is the most amazing thing about being a mother.
I was able to contemplate and wonder about my children's futures, about the things that I most needed to teach them, and mentally try to arrange my priorities to make those things more important that SHOULD be important.
Bethany has a love of living things - outdoors, animals, and most of all her children and husband. She is a no-nonsense mom, but is able to keep things in perspective and relax and have fun with her children.
Bethany also loves to learn and create. Having children and making a home for her husband and family has given her the desire to gain new talents and create things. It has been really fun working with her and teaching her as she has wanted to make cushions for her window seat, design and make Halloween costumes, and creating clothes from pillow cases for her and Heidi. She has a talent for design, and although she is barely scratching the surface in this area, I'm looking forward to watching her grow and gain expertise in this area.
Bethany is an amazing young woman, wife, and mother. I am so proud to be her mother!
Thanks for choosing me to be your mom! I love it! And, I love you!
This is what Marily sang when she was little. "Why do they always sing my name? Why can't they sing someone else's name?" I thought it was pretty cute, but she didn't!
Bethany is the fourth child in the family. She is a bright, happy, loving, kind, and very intelligent person. Born in December, she was also such a bright light during the Christmas season that year, that for the first time, I actually understood a tiny bit what Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have felt at His birth.
Having 3 children already, I was a lot more relaxed, less harried, and more understanding that although the house needs cleaning, etc., the children will not wait, and will grow up whether or not the dust bunnies are still under the couch. It is best to enjoy them while they are still little. Watching your children learn, discover, and grow is the most amazing thing about being a mother.
I was able to contemplate and wonder about my children's futures, about the things that I most needed to teach them, and mentally try to arrange my priorities to make those things more important that SHOULD be important.
Bethany has a love of living things - outdoors, animals, and most of all her children and husband. She is a no-nonsense mom, but is able to keep things in perspective and relax and have fun with her children.
Bethany also loves to learn and create. Having children and making a home for her husband and family has given her the desire to gain new talents and create things. It has been really fun working with her and teaching her as she has wanted to make cushions for her window seat, design and make Halloween costumes, and creating clothes from pillow cases for her and Heidi. She has a talent for design, and although she is barely scratching the surface in this area, I'm looking forward to watching her grow and gain expertise in this area.
Bethany is an amazing young woman, wife, and mother. I am so proud to be her mother!
Thanks for choosing me to be your mom! I love it! And, I love you!
Day 22: I'm Thankful for Marily
Marily is such a special person, and was such a joy to have as a child. She loves life, and works hard to instill this and values of faith, hard work, truth and righteousness, and many other choice values into her children.
She was always laughing and having fun. She loves a good joke, and loves a little teasing. I think she wouldn't be happy if someone didn't tease her a little. This is a good thing, since her husband also loves a good joke, and her boys seem to have inherited the quick wit and love of a good laugh from the two of them.
Marily loves learning, and loves doing the "domestic" things that many believe have gone out of fashion, such as sewing, canning fruits and even meat, and being a "happy homemaker" for her family. She understands the real meaning of gaining joy through the service of those around her, and is an example to all who know her.
Marily has a creative side that I believe she has barely scratched the surface of. I look forward to seeing what new and amazing things she will do with this in the future. She is a gifted writer, with critical insights that many find inspirational, as well as clever. She writes in her blog about the good things, and the bad, not placing herself above having faults. I wish I were more like her in this. Yes, I know I have faults and frailties, and I'm definitely willing to express this; but, I'm still not willing to write it all down and hang it out there for all the world to see. Marily, you are a good example in this to all of us.
She is gifted in music and many other things, and as she raises her family of boys, I am hoping she'll eventually have a girl or two, so she can explore her more "girlie" side of creating frilly dresses or whatever. Boys don't wear much pink, or many "foufy" things, so her sewing projects mostly relate to items for herself, ties for the boys, and aprons and such.
Marily has a degree in Education, but is mostly using that knowledge to help teach her family. For this, she is well-prepared. She was third in the family, so has a brother and two sisters that she was able to practice "mothering." I'm not sure how much they liked this, but I suspect not much. However, she is a great mom and example to her friends and associates as to how to love your children, and still be firm in guiding them.
We have worked on several creative projects, from the wall-hanging for Mark's office, to other things. I look forward to many more such creative endeavors. But, most of all, I look forward to many more times "hanging out" with the boys. I love my grandchildren!
Thanks so much Marily for always making sure I get the invites to their special events. Thanks also for choosing to have me as your mother. I will always be available to help with anything I am able - just let me know.
I am proud to be your mother. I love you.
She was always laughing and having fun. She loves a good joke, and loves a little teasing. I think she wouldn't be happy if someone didn't tease her a little. This is a good thing, since her husband also loves a good joke, and her boys seem to have inherited the quick wit and love of a good laugh from the two of them.
Marily loves learning, and loves doing the "domestic" things that many believe have gone out of fashion, such as sewing, canning fruits and even meat, and being a "happy homemaker" for her family. She understands the real meaning of gaining joy through the service of those around her, and is an example to all who know her.
Marily has a creative side that I believe she has barely scratched the surface of. I look forward to seeing what new and amazing things she will do with this in the future. She is a gifted writer, with critical insights that many find inspirational, as well as clever. She writes in her blog about the good things, and the bad, not placing herself above having faults. I wish I were more like her in this. Yes, I know I have faults and frailties, and I'm definitely willing to express this; but, I'm still not willing to write it all down and hang it out there for all the world to see. Marily, you are a good example in this to all of us.
She is gifted in music and many other things, and as she raises her family of boys, I am hoping she'll eventually have a girl or two, so she can explore her more "girlie" side of creating frilly dresses or whatever. Boys don't wear much pink, or many "foufy" things, so her sewing projects mostly relate to items for herself, ties for the boys, and aprons and such.
Marily has a degree in Education, but is mostly using that knowledge to help teach her family. For this, she is well-prepared. She was third in the family, so has a brother and two sisters that she was able to practice "mothering." I'm not sure how much they liked this, but I suspect not much. However, she is a great mom and example to her friends and associates as to how to love your children, and still be firm in guiding them.
We have worked on several creative projects, from the wall-hanging for Mark's office, to other things. I look forward to many more such creative endeavors. But, most of all, I look forward to many more times "hanging out" with the boys. I love my grandchildren!
Thanks so much Marily for always making sure I get the invites to their special events. Thanks also for choosing to have me as your mother. I will always be available to help with anything I am able - just let me know.
I am proud to be your mother. I love you.
Day 21: I'm Thankful for Amanda
I'm thankful for AMANDA:
Second in line, but never one to be second anywhere else, Amanda is "Miss Personality Plus." Anyone who knows Amanda knows that she is a fierce and faithful friend to the end, and that she never judges a person by what she sees on the outside. She judges from the heart - taking all the good qualities of a person and loving them unconditionally, while setting aside their shortcomings. This doesn't mean that she allows people to take advantage of her, though. She is just wise in positioning herself so she can love the person, but not let their faults interfere or cause harm to her, personally.
Amanda is the 100% "I do it myself" kinda girl. She actually put her little hands on her hips, stance spread, and told me this when she was a 2-year-old! I knew that we could be in for a bumpy ride in raising her. To my joy, I have learned that having headstrong children can be a great blessing. There is no possible way any of their friends are going to be able to influence them to do ANYTHING they don't want to do. The big challenge then, is to instill in the child/children the DESIRE to choose good friends, and make wise choices in the way they live their lives.
As Amanda grew, she had opportunities for leadership and growth. She has learned and prospered. Without the benefit of a college degree, she has gained positions of trust and responsibility in her career. If it needs to be done, she can figure out how, and do it!
As a mother, Amanda is loving, kind, firm, and fabulous! Iris is a joy to our family, and we all wouldn't know what to do without her. Although I'm sure she would have had the circumstances of Iris' arrival be a bit different, Amanda would not want to live her life without her beautiful, talented, brilliant Iris! Having a daughter gave Amanda a new perspective on life, and something more to live for. She is a blessing to her mother, and to her family as a whole.
Love and marriage have also been good for Amanda. After several years, and thinking that possibly marriage would not come for her, she reconnected with David. He is a kind, loving, and thoughtful addition to our family, and we are proud to claim him. I'm grateful that he loves my daughter, and shows it. I'm grateful that he loves Iris, and shows it, and is a good father to her.
I'm also glad that Amanda has been able to find a new job working at the El Paso Zoo. She is finding joy in her work, again, and it's a wholesome atmosphere to work in.
I love my family. I believe we decided who would be our family in the preexistence. Thank you Amanda for deciding to be part of my family. You know I will always be there for you - whatever you need, if I can do it, I will. I love being your mother!
Second in line, but never one to be second anywhere else, Amanda is "Miss Personality Plus." Anyone who knows Amanda knows that she is a fierce and faithful friend to the end, and that she never judges a person by what she sees on the outside. She judges from the heart - taking all the good qualities of a person and loving them unconditionally, while setting aside their shortcomings. This doesn't mean that she allows people to take advantage of her, though. She is just wise in positioning herself so she can love the person, but not let their faults interfere or cause harm to her, personally.
Amanda is the 100% "I do it myself" kinda girl. She actually put her little hands on her hips, stance spread, and told me this when she was a 2-year-old! I knew that we could be in for a bumpy ride in raising her. To my joy, I have learned that having headstrong children can be a great blessing. There is no possible way any of their friends are going to be able to influence them to do ANYTHING they don't want to do. The big challenge then, is to instill in the child/children the DESIRE to choose good friends, and make wise choices in the way they live their lives.
As Amanda grew, she had opportunities for leadership and growth. She has learned and prospered. Without the benefit of a college degree, she has gained positions of trust and responsibility in her career. If it needs to be done, she can figure out how, and do it!
As a mother, Amanda is loving, kind, firm, and fabulous! Iris is a joy to our family, and we all wouldn't know what to do without her. Although I'm sure she would have had the circumstances of Iris' arrival be a bit different, Amanda would not want to live her life without her beautiful, talented, brilliant Iris! Having a daughter gave Amanda a new perspective on life, and something more to live for. She is a blessing to her mother, and to her family as a whole.
Love and marriage have also been good for Amanda. After several years, and thinking that possibly marriage would not come for her, she reconnected with David. He is a kind, loving, and thoughtful addition to our family, and we are proud to claim him. I'm grateful that he loves my daughter, and shows it. I'm grateful that he loves Iris, and shows it, and is a good father to her.
I'm also glad that Amanda has been able to find a new job working at the El Paso Zoo. She is finding joy in her work, again, and it's a wholesome atmosphere to work in.
I love my family. I believe we decided who would be our family in the preexistence. Thank you Amanda for deciding to be part of my family. You know I will always be there for you - whatever you need, if I can do it, I will. I love being your mother!
Day 20: I'm Thankful for Dawn
I'm thankful for DAWN:
First child in line - The "dawn" of the family. No, that isn't why she got the name "Dawn." Her spirit and personality are where she got her name. She came all "bright & shiny." It's hard to explain to those who have never had children or worked with children; but, they are WHO they are when they arrive here on this earth. Her name became Dawn because she added light to the world when she came. Personalities can be molded and directed a bit, but every child comes already "wired" with the traits and talents they will carry and have to work with, or around, all the rest of their lives. Dawn brought life, love, and joy into the world.
Dawn was a bright and happy baby. She came just "knowing" things. Dawn very rarely asked "why" about anything. (Maybe, "Why not?", but not why.) She was the "I know why" child of the family. She watched everything and everyone, and when she had it figured out, she would say, "I know why this . . . ". And, she would continue to explain how she came to this conclusion. Most of the time, she had it right. And, when it wasn't the right thing, it was so logical that it COULD have been right.
Those of us who believe we were spirits in a lifetime before this, believe that some spirits, like earthbound bodies, were born before others. Some spirits are tremendously old, compared to others. Dawn has an "old" spirit. She came with much innate knowledge - things she had learned before this life. I loved having such a brilliant child. As she grew up, she was anxious to learn, quick to understand, and eager to teach those around her what she had learned.
Dawn has a compassionate heart, quick sense of humor, modest nature, and love for learning and teaching. All these traits and many, many more make her an amazing woman, a loyal and understanding wife, a kind and loving mother, and a true and trustworthy friend. I believe her position in the family was no accident.
I love her for the way she loves her family, is loyal to her values, and for the relationship she and I have with each other. I love the IM'ing late at night; and the updates on what she, Bart, and each of the children are doing. I love that she feels she can confide in me when she needs a shoulder to lean on. And, I love that she is there for me, when I need someone to talk to.
Dawn I love you. I'm so grateful for the privilege of being your mother.
First child in line - The "dawn" of the family. No, that isn't why she got the name "Dawn." Her spirit and personality are where she got her name. She came all "bright & shiny." It's hard to explain to those who have never had children or worked with children; but, they are WHO they are when they arrive here on this earth. Her name became Dawn because she added light to the world when she came. Personalities can be molded and directed a bit, but every child comes already "wired" with the traits and talents they will carry and have to work with, or around, all the rest of their lives. Dawn brought life, love, and joy into the world.
Dawn was a bright and happy baby. She came just "knowing" things. Dawn very rarely asked "why" about anything. (Maybe, "Why not?", but not why.) She was the "I know why" child of the family. She watched everything and everyone, and when she had it figured out, she would say, "I know why this . . . ". And, she would continue to explain how she came to this conclusion. Most of the time, she had it right. And, when it wasn't the right thing, it was so logical that it COULD have been right.
Those of us who believe we were spirits in a lifetime before this, believe that some spirits, like earthbound bodies, were born before others. Some spirits are tremendously old, compared to others. Dawn has an "old" spirit. She came with much innate knowledge - things she had learned before this life. I loved having such a brilliant child. As she grew up, she was anxious to learn, quick to understand, and eager to teach those around her what she had learned.
Dawn has a compassionate heart, quick sense of humor, modest nature, and love for learning and teaching. All these traits and many, many more make her an amazing woman, a loyal and understanding wife, a kind and loving mother, and a true and trustworthy friend. I believe her position in the family was no accident.
I love her for the way she loves her family, is loyal to her values, and for the relationship she and I have with each other. I love the IM'ing late at night; and the updates on what she, Bart, and each of the children are doing. I love that she feels she can confide in me when she needs a shoulder to lean on. And, I love that she is there for me, when I need someone to talk to.
Dawn I love you. I'm so grateful for the privilege of being your mother.
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