Honoring Dad

Hi, All,
We just got done celebrating Father's Day and Dad's birthday this week. What a great time to focus on the patriarch of our family. I doubt that he knows how much he influences our daily lives, even you girls, who are married now and living away from home. I'll bet there aren't too many days that the choices before you, the things that you spend time on, or the way that you treat others doesn't bring Dad to your mind. "What would Dad do in this situation?", or "I wish Dad could be here now and go hiking with us," or "How did Dad always do this?"

It is great to have such a wonderful example before you of how to live a humble, just plain old good life. I know that his example has tempered the way that I treat others and how I do things, such as not yelling so much:), driving more carefully, not speaking meanly about others.

So, I thought it would be a nice way to end this week of celebrating Dad's and your Dad in particular, by doing one more thing that Jeanette started. That is to think of the one word that best describes your Dad and my eternal companion. It would be a gift that lasts a long time. Just respond on this blog and I will share them with him.

The word that I think best describes him is "dedicated." He is dedicated to me and to Scott, making sure that all of our needs are met and that we are happy. He is dedicated to fulfilling his callings and doing the best job that he can. He is dedicated to our Father in Heaven, by kneeling each morning and night to say his prayers. He is dedicated to treating everyone fairly and kindly.

Now it's your turn!

The Greatest of These Is Love

I just attended a meeting at the Center for Persons with Disabilities today. It is an Advisory Council made up of people in the community who have are invested in advocating for people with disabilities. My role is as a parent; there was a married couple there who are self-advocates who have developmental disabilities. I was fascinated as I watched them together. They are truly so happy being together and I could see how much they loved each other as they teased and laughed together. We had a sandwich during the meeting and as the husband was talking to the group, his wife was trying to wipe some mayonnaise off of his cheek, kind of like we do with Scott, only with her finger. She just kept at it the whole time he was talking and he didn't mind in the least. I could see that they take good care of each other.
As I watched him eat, his tongue pushing his food out between his teeth as some people with disabilities do, and watched his feet splayed out like Scott's do, it made me realize that all they needed was love. Love overlooks flaws and weaknesses. Love makes us happy just to be with someone. Love doesn't judge another. Love doesn't just look on the outside. Love is pure and innocent. It doesn't take a genius to give love. It takes someone with a lot of heart to simply love someone else.
That is why I am so drawn to people with disabilities; they love openly, completely, simply, innocently. It's in their eyes, and in their smiles, and in their laughter. It is something to strive for, being able to love that completely, without worrying about how someone looks, or what they say or do.
It is the way that I want to love others. It's the way that I love all of you. Completely without restraint.

A Great Visit!

What a great visit, Jenny & Devin! I still can't believe that it has been a whole year since you left. You've done a lot since you left Utah....got two great jobs; bought a house; hiked some beautiful trails; met some wonderful people. It looks like Alaska has been good to you and is where you should be. Don't get me wrong, I still wish you could be closer, but as long as you are both flourishing there, all is well.

You left some good memories when you were here:

• Playing & beating you at games :) (Taboo, Peg game, Pictionary, Chess, Apples to Apples, and Back Alley)
• Eating out at Olive Garden
• Getting a great Mother's Day present from all of you!
• Shopping with Jeanette & lunch in the park
• Jenny getting her ears pierced, hair cut & highlighted & clothes galore!
• Devin's run to Casper's when he was bored or losing at Back Alley
• Crab legs and shrimp dinner!
• Playing crochet...Wayne's rules!
• Pehrson Family picnic and seeing the Fam
• Dutch Oven dinner up Smithfield Canyon
• Celebrating Mother's Day with 3 of my kids
• Celebrating Devin's birthday early & eating ice cream cake

All in all it was a great visit! Thanks so much for coming!Can't wait until Anna and the girls are here in June. Time for more memory-making!

In the meantime, thanks Michele & Wayne for being here and making memories everyday with us!

We love you all!

Give me Sunshine!

I love the sunshine! It does something to a person to see bright blue skies and deep green grass! And those birds....watching them flit around finding bits of fluff and twigs for their nest and chirping their heads off! The spring flowers are blooming their little hearts out and I love them! I LOVE Spring! I think I could live in springtime all of my life! Every day, every minute! Let's hear it for the sun!

Priorities

We watched an interesting movie last night, "The Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith. (Thanks for sharing it with us, Michele & Wayne!) It wasn't quite as happy-go-lucky as I had anticipated. In fact, at times it was really depressing. It is based on the true story of a man named Carl Gardner, who struggled and struggled to keep his son and himself out of the streets and to improve his lot in life. Along the way, his wife left him because she didn't want to be part of his struggle. But he fought to be able to keep his little 5-year old son with him, even though he didn't have a job other than to sell some medical equipment that he had invested in.

Through all of his struggles, I was impressed with his determination to try to keep life as normal as possible for his son. He almost always kept his son's need to be a child as his priority. Even at his lowest ebb, he was able to create a make-believe adventure for them to get through the night sleeping in a bus depot restroom.

His resilience in the face of failure after failure is inspiring to me. We all have trials in life, and as we look around at all of the homeless and broken people, some do not make it through them very well. If we keep our priorities in order and pull from deep inside us to overcome each one, we will eventually reach our goal. One thing the movie did not portray was a faith in God. I know that without my belief in God and His mercy and guidance, I could not get through some of the trials that I have had.

I love each of you and hope that when trials come your way, which they will, that you can keep your priorities straight and be resilient, and most of all, that you can turn to Our Heavenly Father who knows what we need to grow and return to His Presence.

Take Luck!

Hi, Folks,
I had a hilarious time driving to work and back home today! I put in that Brian Regan CD....he is one bubble off plumb, I swear! I started out smiling and giggling to myself, and then as he went on I was grinning from ear-to-ear, trying not to laugh outloud. I couldn't hold it in and found myself laughing my head off, which I thought was hilarious in itself as I am driving alone and belly laughing all the way. Everytime I tried to just smile....I even sucked in my cheeks to try and stop smiling...I ended up laughing outloud! I sure hope nobody saw me!! He cracks me up!

I decided then that I just had to go ahead and laugh, even if people were looking....it was good medicine. I recommend it heartily. Laughter is good for the soul and keeps you young, something I need these days! Besides, it helps keep life in perspective and your thoughts off of negative things.

So, I say, go ahead and laugh your head off if you feel like it! Life is just too short to frown.

In Brian Regan's words, Take luck & Good care!

Coming Home

As long as there is a home to go to, I will go there as often as I can. I am looking forward to seeing my parents in a day or two. And, although it is not the home that I grew up in, it is still home to me; wherever my parents are is home. I think we all have a "bungee cord" that draws us back home. I am glad that the bungee cords in my girl's hearts are pulling them back home soon! This mom is ready to throw my arms around them, touch them, see their beautiful smiles, and look into their eyes again! Thank heavens for Michele and her constant, caring presence! I love my girls and their little families! Yeah for bungee cords!

Homing

There is something inside us that brings us home;
Like a deer drawn to a stream on a warm night.

We drink deeply, the memories soothing our parched throats;
Filling our spirit with the cool waters of belonging.

We bed down near the stream, close to its gentle sound;
Knowing that we can refresh ourselves through the night.

When dawn breaks, we sip one last time before moving on;
our path leads us away from this, our first home.

We make note of the hill close by, the forked tree
just around the bend;
Etching the scene in our mind to tuck away for
other thirsty times.

We will return to this quiet place in days ahead,
When our thirst cannot be quenched anywhere else
but home.


By Connie Pehrson
June 29, 2004