I was preparing dinner and awaiting for my family to arrive home from soccer practice and a football game. An amazing feeling of warmth and love washed over my body at precisely 8:30pm and I was consumed with so much love and gratitude that it brought me to weep. I could not explain where these feelings had come from nor have I ever experienced a complete consumption of such emotion before. It gave me some trepidation. I began to worry and be fearful. I was peacefully happy but questioned such a strong sense of emotion. From once basking in complete bliss of being a happy homemaker I then realized my entire family was away from me. Perhaps they were in danger or an accident. I began to panic slightly. But, instead of calling, I pushed those thoughts aside. I am the type who pushes off or avoids unhappy news. I figure if woe is going to happen then it's going to work its way finding me. I won't seek it.
I found joy in preparing dinner for them. Something that I do every night but there was a feeling of pride and up liftment. I can't explain these feelings. Our freezer and fridge was looking a bit sparse. I had done grocery shopping two weeks ago and we were left with some chicken and a TON OF PRODUCE. What am I going to cook? I opened the fridge and went to dumping everything that I thought would go together and made a really good meal. The funny thing is some of my best meals come when we are trying to just strictly cook from our pantry or fridge. MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU GOT!
SEARS REPAIRMAN?
I found joy in going to the dryer and seeing clothes waiting to be folded and joy in the wave of Downy fresh that so warmly greeted me as I opened the dryer door. It made me smile. It made me draw in a deep long breath. I was grateful for electricity and grateful that my dryer worked because I remember when it didn't.
I felt joy when I opened the washer and saw yet another load begging to be put in the dryer.
I felt joy with each item of clothes that I folded. Granted I love to do laundry anyway.
I was propelled to get everything perfect. To have dinner done. The house ready for their presence. I wanted things ready for them so that they too could share in my joy in being back at home.
I have been ever so grateful to Mr. Incredible for taking over soccer practice. Warrior will drop Dash off to practice and stay with him and I can drop Sweetheart off to practice and Mr. Incredible will go. I can return back home and I take this extra time to prepare dinner, clean, blog or do whatever it is I please.
They feel like stolen moments in time. Time when normally, I would be on the field but was at home fluffing my nest. I like doing for my family.
My life is so far from perfect. I have ups and downs. I am not a perfect mother, wife, friend, member or woman. I know my flaws all too well. But, my life is good, My life is wonderful and I am so happy to be me and to have the family I have and the struggles that I have. I am happy for the thorns that come my way because they are mine and they are what make us GREAT! It's weathering the storms.
Others may have a nicer home, a newer car, be skinnier, have better skin, more money, grown children, young children but I'm okay with whatever Heavenly Father decides and the choices and consequences that I make brings me to.
I choose not to want. I choose contentment. I choose simplicity and I choose security. Choose ye this day what it is that brings true happiness to your soul and seek after it.
45 comments:
You are so wise and I too am thinking about contentment more. I think it is something that we will have to have more and more in the coming years. I love your thoughts as you had joy throughout your everyday tasks. It will be a place of contentment for your family as well as your heart exudes contentment. Thanks Goose.
Oooooh, I just could feel the feelings of peace and contentment ooze over cyberspace and into my heart. Aren't we as women so blessed to be able to be fulfilled through making a sanctuary out of our homes. Which is so needed these days. Your family is SO VERY lucky to have you.
Beautiful, beautiful post!!! Truly some wise words. I think November is off to a great start. I'm finding so many posts on gratitude.
I was so happy to read this. I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall. Do you know what I mean. Sometimes when life feels so overwhelmingly wonderful there is a brief moment when I become fearful that it isn't going to last. I love that you chose to stay in the moment. To just rest in a beautiful moment filled with gratitude. I think these are such sacred moments when Heavenly father tells us we are right where we should be and he loves us. thanks for sharing.
I love days like that and am learning that I can choose to have them more often than not. I've been challenging myself to do this lately. I call it "channeling June [Cleaver]".
You are so sweet! I am so glad that you love your role in life. That you cherish the moments you have to do things wfor your family.
You are a great example.
Please know that I didn't think you were being judgemental of me. I took your thoughts as words from a friend & I just felt that I needed to be a better person. And to be more like you. You inspire me to be better & to look for good in all things
Thanks!
Kitchen ditcher,so true! You know I don't actively set or say I am going to make a sanctuary but I want our home to be a place they miss, or long to get back to.
Jan, it's not often that I can find joy in the mundane or ordinary but when those strong feelings came over me I was humbled that it is indeed a
privillege. Others aren't so lucky. Some are single, widowed, or just abandoned and lonely. I think to have true sanity in this world we are going to have to let go of what is unimportant and just look to what is already in our bag. So true. I appreciate your words..
Mikki it is going to be a great month.
Melinda, I never thought of it that way but I really like your thoughts about HF testifying to me that I am right where I am suppose to be in that moment. How sweet that kiss was.
Kristal, I like your challenge. When I was a young mother I wanted to be June Cleaver, Lucille Ball and Mrs. Cunningham from Happy Days. I wanted to be Lucy because Desi loved her no matter how ditzy she was and how she screwed up. I wanted to be lucy because she always had a true friend by her side and she wore beautiful dresses. I wanted to be June because she had the perfect house, and manners, and I wanted to Mrs. C because she was blissfully kind, sweet and naive but her children and husband adored her. So, I guess I got the ditzy dumb part down and now I just need the wardrobe and perfect clean house in tact. LOL
just a bit of warning. I was martha stewart. Truly, I knew her better than she knew herself. I did and crafted and prepared and through a party like no one's business. I took joy in it but then I burned out and never revisited martha again. I had to learn to stop trying to be like all of these women and start finding out who I truly was! Once I did. I found true contentment and I was ok, when super class room mom outshined my treats. It was ok, because I was ok, with me!
bren, you are too kind and give me far too much love than I deserve. Thank you for your friendship and sharing yourself with me!
what an excellent post! I really do try to find joy in laundry but I'm not there yet. Though I do find joy in spilled milk, broken glasses, and other teaching times where I can show my kids that THEY are more important than an item or a mess.
I also love to cook and bake a good meal that brings pleasure to the whole family. What we do is so important and the blessings divine.
I am with you. Choosing to look for the better part of life. It is to easy to see the negative. I perfer a simple life, full of love. Your so wonderful, I love the thoughts you have shared. They sound some much like thoughts I have had, but have not shared.
As a woman you have chosen "the good part" and that is why you are blessed. You have truly chosen what brings you real joy, not what the world tells you will bring you happiness. I love this post MG. It goes well with our RS lesson to day which was appreciation for who we are as women. You are a good example to me.
And, BTW, I have to say I'm curious about all the animal skin in your washer :-) Are they naughty or nice :-)
I love moments of peace in my home like that. I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the peaceful moments throughout each day. You have a great family.
What a great joy family can be! WHAT a great gane you all had! They killed them!!
You are a wise woman goose! WISE indeed!
There are so many truly uplifting and inspiring posts floating around today. I love it. I love that Heavenly Father is watching out for all of us, individually -and together.
What a wonderful example you are to all of us. Especially those of us lucky enough to have children.
I know this feeling. I feel it every once in a while.
M
first off woman, you have way many more peeps than me, so back off woman... ;)
Second, you are such a great writer. I am thankful for your posts, uplifting, never raunchy, and all that and a bag of chips..
YOu go girl!!!
Mother Goose! I am here!
I love the new layout!
I love seeing the pictures too!
I don't have time to read right now...I need to be sleeping since it's 1:35AM!
I'll be back this week!
Just wanted to give you a little lovin'!
What a great post. I have been so dang busy lately with this prop 8 thing and well.. just life. I need to stop and reflect and love my family! They ARE the best thing that ever happened to me!!!
The fridge was sparse, huh? Did you entertain the thought of preparing, oh say, perhaps a casserole! Okay, I'm just kidding but you know why.
I love those moments when it hits home to you exactly what it is you have and that feeling of total gratitude. I can relate to your post.
I guess we need those moments to make up for the ones where we go "what was I thinking?"
Wow, you are too good a person...maybe you are too high above me!! You are wise AND you cook meals everyday!! Wow...homemade food on a daily basis!! I haven't had that in YEARS! When both parents work and me and my siblings are supposed to cook...well I do my meal every week usually (I made a turkey casserole for Sunday dinner) but often I am left to my own devices...my sisters SKIP way too often! I am SICK of frozen food!!
Beautiful post inside and out.
MG, that was a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing that to remind us all of the most important things in life. Our testimonies will be our strenght as we endure these last days!
ps...I LOVE laundry too! :-0
I have not yet achieved the feeling of contentment and gratitude in my laundry yet...I think that comes after walking across burning coals....LOL! Better check your feet!
I actually like doing the dishes...I think it is a sickness! I was told long ago that if everyone was standing in a circle and threw their problems in the center, we would look around and gladly pick our problems back up. I too gave up being perfect along time ago! You can't do it. Just be you and everything will fall into place!! Way to go for finding you! You are awesome and just reading your post...you still are martha steawart cuz you do it all!
PS. Hop over to my blog...I have something for you!
Great post Goose. I sometimes wonder if I'm weird because I like to stay at home and take care of stuff. I'm not as social as a lot of my friends, and used to think that was bad, but not anymore. I don't have to go and do all the time. I can be my happiest cleaning and cooking and love it when I have time to do so. And I think how sad I'll be when my kiddos leave the nest and I don't have their stuff around all the time.
What a beautiful post! It's funny how the Spirit works sometimes. I've so glad you were able to enjoy precious moments of peace and gratitude, and pride in your role as wife, mother, and homemaker.
You are so very beautiful, Mother Goose!!! Thanks for sharing this small part of your soul with us.
What a great post, Goose!
I am a firm believer that fluffing our nest is what keeps our family safe and wanting to be at home.
Keep on, keeping' on!
Your life is perfect because you live in such a way to make perfect moments for your family each and every day.
Love it Goose!
Absolutely beautiful.
A ha ! So your not perfect either? YEAAAAAH. I am thrilled !
It's a good thing you put that imperfect disclaimer in there...I was beginning to get a little jealous :)
We know that there aren't many places that have better food and a cleaner environment...that's for sure.
I love Downy too.
When are we invited for dinner?
I'll take your leftovers.
My last post is very similar to this. I think with the turmoil going on in the world and with the election and everything we want to turn to our little sanctuaries and just be grateful for what we have. I wish I could learn to love doing laundry and cooking though.....
Love is what is most important anyways right? I just realized that I originally posted as Liz on your giveaway, and it linked dto Hapari swimwear, but I have some as Memmott family. That blog is private..
liz
I did a little e-Christmas shopping and e-gift giving. Go look. ;)
you are so awesome! i love this WHOLE ENTIRE POST!!!!! ♥
Lovin' you!!! What a great post - I agree with it all (um, except the laundry part. Really, how could you??? Like it, that is?? =)!!!)
Life is good!!
Can I just tell you how much I look up to you! Seriously! You are awesome and wonderful MG!! I ♥ this post!
I love this post..and I love moments like that, it makes it all worthwhile!!
K...next time I'm feeling down...I'm totally coming over to read your blog...such great way to see things! :)
This is such a sweet post and I really enjoyed reading it! We do need to be happy and enjoy what we have.
I love this post! And I'm hungry and that dinner sure looks good! Have a beautiful day!
;-)Brooke
What a sweet post about joy in the simple things in life. Loved it and your heartfelt emotion!
this post is so inspiring! thank you for reminding me to focus on contentment and happiness!
I get that feeling all the time. The one where you love your family so much it hurts and then you think what if something bad is happening to them. It's always such a relief when the come back to you safely.
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