Oh Help! I'm Becoming a Grownup!

Yesterday, I felt true contentment for a few hours and I wanted to write about it here, to savor the moment. In October of 2000, President Faust said, "...we perhaps need to snatch happiness in little pieces, learning to recognize the elements of happiness and then treasuring them while they last." (Talk can be found here.) I remember being offended at the time (I was 22 and relatively inexperienced with life) that President Faust was saying we couldn't be happy ALL THE TIME. But now, as a parent and a wife and, well, a grown up, I understand what he's saying. At 22, I had very few responsibilities or cares outside of myself. The Hub and I had just barely started dating. Happiness seemed to be something easily achieved on a daily basis.

But in the subsequent eleven years, as I have taken on a spouse, four children, and stewardship over my dwelling place, my perspective has changed. A perpetual state of happiness is impossible. Instead, I'm usually frustrated, worried, irritated, worried, laughing, worried, planning ahead, or just plain busy. And I understand more completely what President Faust was referring to: those moments of true happiness, when all is briefly right with the world and the Spirit is present.

Yesterday was one of those days filled with contentment. We started the morning by doing our family pictures, which went quickly and well. A quick stop at home for lunch and to feed the baby followed, and then I convinced the girls to get their shoes back on (I was trying to keep the event a surprise and they were NOT cooperating) and we met a dear friend from the ward at the stables where she boards her horses. I was able to help my girls, who are absolutely horse mad, meet some real live horses for the first time, and RIDE THEM. Now, granted, they just perched in the saddle and hung onto the pommel the entire time, but the little girl inside of me was so happy for them. I am so grateful to have a friend who was willing to provide that experience for my girls, and I'm glad I took her up on the offer. I truly hope to help my girls have many good memories in this life, and this was hopefully one of them.

When we got home, The Hub, his dad, and The Boy were working on trimming the branches and logs of our former magnolia tree. The tree was absolutely baked by the heat this summer, and when it was cut down, I saw that some of the branches and part of the main trunk were diseased. I'm glad we were able to get it down before it decided to come down on the house!

Anyway, as I watched them working together, tidying our yard and creating order out of chaos, I recognized that strong, deep feeling of contentment. It doesn't come from watching TV or pursuing the mundane tasks of this life, for me. It comes when we work together for the common good, when we work together to serve others, when I forget myself for a while and focus on doing something wonderful for my children, or sometimes when I read a book of such outstanding presentation with a story that contains some of those former elements. I love that sense of strong rightness, of knowing that I had some part in the work that my Heavenly Father considers good. I treasure every one of those moments when those feelings come, when my work has paid off and I know that Heavenly Father is pleased with me. I certainly hope to feel that way at the judgment seat, to know that in looking over my life, my Father and my Savior are well pleased and call my life good.